Anzac bloggers unite...

Storm U18 Player of the Year...

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 03:39:42 +0200

Pride Petterson-robati

Melbourne Storm SG Ball Under 18 Player of the Year

Chiefs beat Sharks in Super 15 final...

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 13:06:52 +0200

The Chiefs from Waikato / BOP in New Zealand beat the Sharks from South Africa in the Super 15 rugby final this evening.

The second leg of the sporting double to go with the winning performance of the "Magic" from the same region of the country in the Trans-Tasman netball competition recently

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/image.cfm?c_id=4&gal_cid=4&gallery_id=127246#9432722

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Were the AB's robbed in the 2007 Rugby World Cup?

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 03:21:21 +0200

Were the AB's robbed in the 2007 Rugby World Cup...

Everybody criticised the English referee after the All Blacks lost to France in 2007 in the RWC quarter-final. Graham Henry believed we were robbed then - match fixing? I hope not! Thats what the AB's coach at the time believed . And it has gone into his autobiography. The AB's hierarchy probably told him to shut up if he wanted to be reappointed as coach. Now Sir Ted can say what he thought back then!

Personally, the All Blacks played badly in that game, but the referee was totally incompetent. I don't know how much better he is these days. Sir Graham Henry had every right to criticise the referee's performance. Despite the performance of the All Blacks, how come the penalty count was so lop-sided in favour of the French side? It is now part of history. The All Blacks definately scored a try against Wales in 1905. The referee was too slow to get up and see the try scored. Mind you he was wearing street clothes and shoes.

http://peter-petterson.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/were-abs-robbed-in-2007-rugby-world-cup.html

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Chiefs from NZ host Sharks from SA in Super 15 final in Hamilton in the Waikato

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 13:06:37 +0200

The Chiefs defeated the Crusaders from Canterbury and the Sharks downed the Stormers in the South African derby. The grand final will be held in Hamilton in the Waikato. Neither team has won a final previously. It will be the Chiefs second final.

After the conclusion of the Super Rugby Semi-Finals the Chiefs and Sharks have been confirmed as the 2012 Super Rugby Finalists.

This means that the seventeenth Super Rugby Final will be played at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton, with the Chiefs hosting the Sharks on Saturday 4 August 2012

As both Super Rugby teams have Kiwi coaches the title is guaranteed to be won by a New Zealand coach.

The referee appointment for the Final will be announced on Monday, 30 July.

2012 SUPER RUGBY FINAL

Saturday, 4 August, 2012
Chiefs v Sharks
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand
Kick Off (1935 local, 0735 GMT, 1735 NSW/ACT, 0935 SAT)

2012 SUPER RUGBY SEMI-FINALS RESULTS

Semi Final 1
Friday, 27 July, 2012
Chiefs v Crusaders, 20-17
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand

Semi Final 2
Saturday, 28 July, 2012
Stormers v Sharks, 19-26
Newlands Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa

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Richie McCaw outstanding at No eight

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 10:49:11 +0200

McCaw 'outstanding' at No eight - Blackadder...

Richie McCaw will continue to show his increasing versatility for the Crusaders in the Super Rugby semifinal against the Chiefs on Friday.

With Kieran Read again ruled out with a cracked rib, McCaw's likely to captain the side from number eight for the third straight game.

There have been calls for the specialist openside to trade in the seven jersey at the back end of his career.

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder says McCaw's play at the back of the scrum is outstanding.

"I think if anything, it's been quite good for him, he's certainly bringing physical presence and I think he's played really well as a number eight. He's naturally a number seven, you can see that, I just thought he's been outstanding."

"I think he's been in the best form that I've seen in the last couple of years at the moment. He's certainly taken the ball to the line, certainly got his head in the right place and he's executing really well."

Blackadder still has high expectations for Read this week.

"Just exactly what you expect of a team member, just like what he did last week, just to contribute as much as he can but otherwise help prepare the guys to win a big game."

He says having played over the weekend, they've got the upper hand.

"It's all about attitude and they brought a great attitude."

14,500 tickets have been sold for the match, with just over 10,000 remaining.

>> More Rugby News
© 2012 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

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NZ Warriors NRL club's millionaire owners to invest millions of dollars in the future...

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 04:26:25 +0200

Vodafone Warriors owners Eric Watson and Owen Glenn ONZM, today announced they expect to invest “whatever it takes” over the next five years in initiatives designed to take the club and rugby league to “levels never seen before.”
Watson and Glenn were locked in strategy talks in Auckland last weekend with board members, management and coaching staff mapping out the club’s future.
When the owners announced their 50-50 joint venture on the eve of the 2012 NRL season in March they pledged to not only invest a multi-million dollar sum into rugby league but also voiced their goal to make the Vodafone Warriors the most successful club in the NRL.
Today Watson reiterated that but added they didn’t want to stop there.
“We want this club to become the best single sporting franchise in Australasia, taking it to levels never seen before in this part of the world,” he said.
Following the weekend’s board meeting, chairman Bill Wavish said they have reached agreement on a number of key decisions.
“These initiatives we are announcing today will pave the way for an era of unprecedented growth in the club’s on-field success, profile and community presence,” he said.
These include:
• The formation of a Warriors Charitable Trust
• A commitment to form a Warriors Elite Academy
• The upgrading of training, sports science, medical, talent identification, IT and other team support facilities
• Improved membership offers to fans outside Auckland and in Australia
• A Vodafone Warriors Championship for Auckland secondary schools First XIIIs and significant involvement in grass roots rugby league
• Increased Vodafone Warriors merchandise range and the establishment of the club’s first Warriors Shop.
Watson says the potential to grow the club at all levels through the initiatives was unlimited.
“This is a conscious effort to significantly

Good luck the Warriors!

http://www.warriors.co.nz/news-display/Watson-and-Glenn-open-war-chest-for-future/59643

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Fantastic Kiwi Magic win Australasian netball title for 2012...

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 01:47:39 +0200

The fantastic Waikato-BOP Magic netball franchise has won the Trans-Tasman netball competition title for 2012. It was the first win for a kiwi team in the five years the competition has been going. They beat the Vixens from Melbourne with a late surge in the fourth quarter. South African born veteran goal- shoot Irene van Dyk lost her mother during the week and will return to South Africa for the funeral, while the rest of the team returns to New Zealand. It was a great day for kiwi netball.

http://sport.msn.co.nz//sportnews/netball/8503232/magic-fight-back-to-win-netball-title

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New Zealand's only living VC holder, Corporal Willie Apiata, has retired from the NZ SAS

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 03:53:55 +0200

B
Controversially photographed on patrol in Kabul

)New Zealand's only living Victoria Cross winner, SAS Corporal Willie Apiata, has decided to retire after ten years in the service. He was awarded the VC in 2004 for carrying a wounded comrade under machine gun and rifle fire during an attempted Taleban ambush in Afghanistan. He returned to Afghanistan after his original tour had ended. He was controversially photographed while on patrol in Kabul and was shown on media news reports. He spent 20yrs in the NZ Army and joined the SAS in 2001 after serving in East Timor. An old injury delayed his entry into the service.

Willie Apiata will remain in the SAS reserves and has joined the Highwire Trust in the Auckland area and will work with at risk youth. New Zealand's SAS has been pulled out of Afghanistan and five members including Apiata have retired from the service since the NZ SAS was withdrawn to New Zealand. They are not currently involved in any theatre of action, but you never know if they have become involved in some emergency action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XmSg2GUbEg New VC winner and reluctant hero

http://www.3news.co.nz/Apiata-quits-SAS-finds-new-job/tabid/309/articleID/261788/Default.aspx Going back to civvy street

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My first week in Oz....

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 02:07:18 +0200

My first week in OZ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0haFrh6tbEQ

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Kiwi expat did his block over mocking television advertisement...

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 08:19:19 +0200

Expatriate New Zealander Max Barrett, who lost his cool over an Australian TV ad poking fun at the Kiwi accent, has admitted charges of common assault and using offensive language.

Barrett also pleaded guilty to misusing a telecommunications service when he appeared in Griffith Local Court on Wednesday, a court spokeswoman told NZ Newswire.

No pleas were entered on other charges he faces - intimidation, resisting arrest and intimidating police - and his case was adjourned to August 29.

Barrett, 44, took umbrage at a furniture retailer's ad on the WIN regional television network featuring two animated kookaburras saying "Yeah, bro", "Sweet as, bro" and "Choice, bro" with New Zealand accents.

What a silly bugger he turned out to be!

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/14202652/kiwi-admits-assault-over-ad-mocking-accent/

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Mental Notes: A NZ film about the bad old days of mental health treatment in NZ

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 03:54:51 +0200

Mental Notes - The movie about the bad old days of mental health treatment in New Zealand...

Mind, memory, head:

The movie “Mental Notes” is showing at the Paramount in Courtenay Place, Wellington City, NZ...

Summary
The bad old, very bad old days of mental health care in New Zealand are recalled with dismay, disbelief and a touch of gallows humour by five survivors in Jim Marbrook's gently affirmative documentary. All were institutionalised in places that luckier New Zealanders remember just driving past with a contraction of fear and curiosity, scary places that burrowed into national consciousness and individual insecurity for generations. In this look back at the days when those with Mental Illness were locked away in large hospitals – sometimes for life, 5 main characters are followed while they return to some of the biggest and baddest “bins”.around the country. Most are now rotting shells, some have been boarded up or reduced to dust. Our five main subjects, Anne helm, Roy brown, John Tovey, Francis Ruwhiu and Peter Finlay are directed by Jim Marbrook.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IN THE BINS: Film-maker Jim Marbrook interviewed ex-patients and staff of Porirua Lunatic Asylum in his film Mental Notes, screening in Wellington this week.
PREVIEW: A dark slice of Porirua's history is explored in a documentary screening in Wellington this week.
Auckland film-maker Jim Marbrook's Mental Notes is the first feature-length exploration of New Zealand's mental institutions, one of the largest which was Porirua Lunatic Asylum.
Marbrook travelled the country interviewing ex- patients and staff of the asylums known colloquially as "the bins".
The documentary was inspired by an earlier film Marbrook had made about Rangitikei's Lake Alice Hospital. Despite all his research, Marbrook was still shocked by some of the stories he was told while making Mental Notes.
One Dunedin patient was given a therapy where she was put to sleep for six weeks.
"Basically the idea was you would put someone to sleep for a few weeks and your body would shut down and it would be like rebooting a computer, I guess.
"But practically that situation did all sorts of damage," Marbrook says.
This patient's body weight had doubled when she woke up, and her parents didn't recognise her when they visited, he says.
"The shock was that it was in some way allowable."
Some therapies that were widely accepted 50 years ago were simply overused, Marbrook says.
"For me it's interesting to see how a treatment which had a degree of success in some sections was just kind of used as a kind of blanket treatment.
"The dosage of drugs was so high and now you'd be getting maybe a 10th of that."
Some therapies like electric shock treatment were simply abused.
"Probably the worst example of a clinical tool being used in quite a savage and damaging way was electric shocks to the genitals."
Also upsetting were stories of patients who today would not be considered mentally disturbed - many wards of the state were institutionalised in Porirua.
"There was a sense of 'These are troublesome people, let's put them in the bin'," Marbrook says.
While some patients said they benefited from hospitalisation, most suffered from the poor treatment of their illnesses.
"If the film has a thesis it's that these things are made tremendously more difficult within an institutional framework," Marbrook says.

Acknowledgements: Elaine Winchester

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Crusaders downed high flying Chiefs in the Super 15 rugby competion..

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 11:41:11 +0200

The Crusaders downed the high flying Chiefs 28-21 in the penulimate round of the Super 15 rugby competion last night in Hamilton City in the Waikato. Kieran read has rib injuries and the team cross fingers for speedy recovery. The performance last night would have seen both teams defeat most international sides.

http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-news/crusaders-sweat-read-ahead-playoffs-4960217?ref=rss

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Kiwis living in Australia after 2001 are being legally discriminated against...

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 06:45:11 +0200

New Zealanders living in Australia after Feb 2001 are being legally discriminated against - living ,working ,paying taxes and making other deductions does not make them Australian residents. Australians living in New Zealand are entitled to the same benefits as kiwis.

New Zealand PM John Key is to discuss this matter with his Australian counterpart, Julia Gillard when he arrives in that country. The spirit of Anzac is obviously non-existent in Australia these days..

http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/claims-aust-law-discriminates-against-kiwis-4956487?ref=rss

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Victoria State Under 18's RL reps 2012...

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 08:25:39 +0200

Victoria State Under 18's RL reps 2012:

The Under 18’s Victorian team entered the 2012 Championships full of confidence after 2 years of domination at this level. This squad had remained undefeated in winning the Sam Davey Plate in 2010 and 2011 and they had set some high goals again in 2012.

The young Victorian’s opened their tournament with a resounding victory against the courageous South Australian team. The coaching staff gave many of the younger players in the squad extended game time and they performed above expectations, with Chanel Seigafo a standout amongst the younger brigade.

Game 2 was against a determined W.A side who always seem to lift against Victoria. Although the Vic’s were not at their best, they were still able to pile on 8 tries to defeat the W.A boys convincingly by 38-10. Best player on the day was Pride Petterson-Robati.

Game 3 was the Grand Final against the undefeated Northern Territory side. The Victorian’s were primed for this game and they played their best footy of the carnival to completely overwhelm the N.T boys. The final score of 58-0 secured the Sam Davey Plate for the 4th successive year, having lost only one game in this period.

Henry Sang-Yum was named the player of the tournament for his powerful running and brutal defence throughout the tournament. Other players to stand out were Francis Tualau, Pride Petterson-Robati, Jackson Brenchley and John Filipo. Congratulations to all of the players and coaching staff for another fantastic carnival.

Victoria’s dominance of the carnival was rewarded with the selection of 14 players in the Combined Affiliated squad to compete in the 2012 Under 18s National Championships in Port Macquarie in July. These players are: Jackson Brenchley, Chanel Seigafo, Brandon Manase, Tremaine Jensen, Charnze-Nicoll Klokstad, Aaron Teroi, Logan Houghton, Jose Makai, Pride Petterson-Robati, Francis Tualau, Henry Sang-Yum, John Filipo, Jospeh Waten-Lauina and Dillan Brittain. Congratulations to these players and we wish them the best of luck as they vie for Australian Schoolboys selection at the National Championships this week..

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Ewen MacDonald found not guilty of brother-in-law Scott Guy's murder in NZ...

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 08:14:06 +0200

Ewen Macdonald has been found not guilty of murdering his brother-in-law Scott Guy by a jury in the High Court at Wellington.
Mr Guy's wife Kylee Guy cried out "he killed my husband'' in tears and left the courtroom. Macdonald was tearful as the verdict was given.
His wife Anna Macdonald, Mr Guy's sister, held onto her father Bryan Guy's arm and cried as the verdict was delivered.
Macdonald's parents, Kerry and Marlene Macdonald, sat on the opposite side of the court, behind the dock.
Justice Simon France remanded Macdonald in custody for a callover in Palmerston District Court on July 31.
The callover is to set a sentencing date for other charges, including arson and criminal damage, to which Macdonald earlier pleaded guilty.
The Crown alleged Macdonald shot and killed Mr Guy, 31, at the end of the driveway of his Feilding home in the pre-dawn darkness of July 8, 2010.
Macdonald, 32, denied murder.

But Ewen Macdonald will be back in court in late July to answer other charges as above. The police do not have any other avenues of enquiry into Mr Guy's murder. This case has become a classic 'whodunnit'.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10816864

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/7213148/Scott-Guy-murder-trial-in-summary

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/news-gallery/photo/-/14119469/photos-from-the-scott-guy-murder-trial/14119820/ Photo gallery:

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/looking-back-scott-guy-trial-video-4955195 Video:

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Forex dealer who became prime minister of NZ...

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 10:11:57 +0200

Key bottom right:

The foreign exchange dealer who became prime minister of New Zealand nearly 20 years later. A success at the first maybe, but a failure as New Zealand's PM.

http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/close-up-big-dealers-john-key-1987

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15 facts you should know about New Zealand's southern waters..

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:57:27 +0200

15 facts you should know about New Zealand’s southern waters...

As we come up to the launch of the Our South Books, exhibitions and talks. I thought it would be useful to recap some of the key points about why New Zealand’s southern region is so important.

New Zealand has stewardship of an area that extends from Stewart Island almost without interruption to the South Pole.
•The subantarctic islands help give New Zealand one of the five largest Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) in the world.
•The Southern Ocean and Antarctica are the engine room of the world’s oceans and climate.
•The subantarctic islands are like life-rafts in the Southern Ocean for animals breeding and feeding.

We need to manage humankind’s race for resources:
•New Zealand has claim over the Ross Dependency, but under the Antarctic Treaty we agreed to disagree over claims and manage Antarctica through consensus with other countries.
•This Treaty system successfully defused conflict over Antarctica and put in place a great deal of environmental protection for the Continent (including a ban on mining).
•Our investment in science and diplomacy are essential to maintaining this Treaty.
•Whaling and sealing were good examples of how not to manage natural resources. These days, partly thanks to the efforts of New Zealand, we are managing resources like fish much better.
•However, the consensus approach to managing Antarctica creates some problems and there is always the risk that countries may leave and do their own thing – we need to work to keep the Treaty relevant

Acknowledgements: Gareth Morgan. Read more here. http://garethsworld.com/15-facts-know-new-zealands-southern-waters/

http://garethsworld.com

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Christchurch EQ Feb 22 2011 - Collapse of CTV building...

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 01:58:59 +0200

The horrors of the February 22 earthquake have been graphically illustrated today, with the Canterbury Television building collapse being likened to the September 11 terrorist attacks and its aftermath a "war-zone". The second day of the royal commission hearing into the CTV building disaster heard from survivors, as well as eyewitnesses to its dramatic "pancaking" in the killer magnitude-6.3 quake. CTV receptionist Maryanne Jackson had been spooked after the magnitude-7.1 September 4, 2010 shake, which sparked the Canterbury earthquake sequence, and felt the building was unsafe. Having seen cracks in the walls, and staff members complaining that the building "shook" as trucks rumbled past, she would run out of the six-storey building during large aftershocks. It was a practice that would save her life. Read more: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1d=10815547

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The United Nations claims Kiwis and Aussies are the biggest potheads in the world...

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 04:29:37 +0200

The use of ecstasy is in decline, but cocaine use is on the rise and New Zealanders and Australians consume more marijuana per capita than any other country.

Altogether, annual use among New Zealanders and Australians for all drugs except for heroin “remain much higher than the global average”, said the report, published a short time ago in Vienna.

The major destinations for cocaine traffickers continue to be in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, suggesting the Mexican drug cartels are continuing to make strong inroads into the Oceanic market.

The report states that cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance across the globe, with the highest prevalence of use among New Zealanders and Australians.

The report found between 9.1 percent and 14.6 per cent of people in Oceania used cannabis, the highest in the world.

The global average is only 2.6 per cent to five per cent.

In New Zealand the UN reported that a decrease in the use of "ecstasy" is reported to have been offset by the use of other substances mimicking its effects, including piperazines, cathinone and mephedrone.

Australia and New Zealand, together with North America and Europe, remain major markets for cocaine, with the latest data pointing to an increase in cocaine use.

"The UNODC also reported "new synthetic psychoactive substances" chemically engineered to remain outside international control are being increasingly used.

In 2010, UNODC said all regions, particularly Europe, North America and Oceania, reported the use of these substances "as an emerging trend".

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Hallem: Victoria State college rugby league champions for the last five years...

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 23:20:43 +0200

State Champions NO 5...

Our Rugby League team has kept its wins streak going claiming its fifth consecutive State Title.

Hallam Senior College's Senior Rugby League team played in the State Final of the ARL Cup on Thursday 24th May against Victoria University Secondary College for the 2nd year in a row.

Both schools have Rugby League programs where students attend that school for the purposes of developing their Rugby League skills and knowledge. Between both schools there are 11 players from the Victorian Schoolboys team.

The game was quite close and frantic at the the beginning, displaying one of the best contests of Schoolboys Rugby League in Victoria. The score at half-time was 18 – 6 in the favour of Hallam Senior College.

This could have been a lot closer had a few things gone right for the Victoria University team. In the second half, Hallam scored 2 very quick tries and went on tho run away with the game 50 – 8.

Try scorers were Pride Petterson-Robati with 3 tries, Romia Matangaro with 2 tries, Francis Tualau 1 try, Joseph Watene-Launia 1 try, Brandon Manase 1 try, Dylan Brittain-Snowden 1 try.

This makes Hallam State Champions for the 5th year in a row.

We will now move on in this National competition to play schools from NSW in the coming weeks.

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My personal protest and boycott against spam and splog begins now...

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 08:55:09 +0200

My protest and boycott against spam and splog begins right now. I will not post, read or comment on any blog or group here at blog.co.uk until Tuesday New Zealand time.

I would hope that you will carry out your own individual protest and boycott this site until Tuesday your time.

I hope the Admin of this site becomes aware of the protest and boycott against spam and splog, and other problems here, such as slowness and inability to post at times. I have been a member here since January 2006 - six and a half years - and would like to be a member here for a similar time into the future.

Peter Petterson
Wellington
New Zealand

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Call for a junior Kiwi development team in Australia

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 10:35:53 +0200

Former Kiwis captain Gary Freeman believes the introduction of a "Junior Expats" match could help New Zealand win the eligibility fight against New South Wales and Queensland.

Former Kiwi Coach - Gary Freeman

Former Kiwis captain Gary Freeman believes the introduction of a "Junior Expats" match could help New Zealand win the eligibility fight against New South Wales and Queensland.

Freeman has joined the widespread call for the ARL Commission to tighten up eligibility rules.

It comes in the wake of James Tamou's defection to New South Wales, and predictions Sam Kasiano will be picked for Queensland.

Freeman says the battle must begin at the junior level.

He supports the idea of building a strong New Zealand culture for kids living away from home at a young age, by picking a representative team of under-16 Kiwi expats in Australia.

He says that gives them a development pathway for kids to make an early call, rather than being selected for Australian Schoolboys.

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Those damn spammers and sploggers...

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 01:53:43 +0200

Those damn spammers and sploggers...

Those damn spammers and sploggers are annoying many bloggers here...

http://huttriver.blog.co.uk/2012/06/21/those-damn-spammers-and-sploggers-are-annoying-many-bloggers-here-13917291/

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Young Kiwi hoon gets his car crushed - anti-boy racer legislation enacted...

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 02:38:38 +0200

Young Kiwi hoon gets his car crushed - anti-boy racer legislation enacted...

Three years since it was enacted, the anti-boy racer legislation has claimed its first victim with the crushing of a car belonging to a Wellington man.
The first car was wrecked at a Lower Hutt yard on Thursday with Police Minister Anne Tolley operating the controls.

Police Minister Anne Tolley hoped to send a strong warning to boy racers.
PHOTO: RADIO NEW ZEALAND

Mrs Tolley pressed the remote control that set the crusher going at Macaulay Metals in Seaview.
She said she hoped the crushing sends a strong warning to other boy racers, especially the 116 who have committed of two offences.
Mrs Tolley says destroying cars is the most effective way of getting dangerous vehicles and and the people who drive them off the roads.
She says the change has already had an impact with a 17% drop in street racing offences in the past year.
Legislation that came into effect in 2009 including the Sentencing (Vehicle Confiscation) Amendment Act allows for the destruction of cars whose owners had committed a third offence.
Dog and Lemon Guide website editor Clive Matthew-Wilson says crushing the cars is pointless and it would be better to educate the drivers.

http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-Tolley-crushes-boyracers-car/tabid/423/articleID/258565/Default.aspx View video here:

http://peter-petterson.blogspot.com

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Pride scored a try in his debut game with the Melbourne Storm against Manly last night...

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 09:51:58 +0200

The Melbourne Storm rugby league Under 20 side drew with Manly 26-26 in the Toyota Cup competition last night. Young Pride Petterson- Robati scored a try in his debut match. Well done Pride! I bet there are a few more to come. Pride turned 17 years on Saturday, June 16,2012, qualifying for the Under 20's. Pride is halfway through a six year contract with the NRL club. He has played two seasons with the club's Under 18 grade. He now has three years ahead of him to develop his game and his physicality to earn a place in the Storm's First Grade side. Good luck to the youngster, who is actually my grandson.

http://www.seaeagles.com.au/news-display/Manly-NYC-draw-with-Storm/57435 Match report:

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Scientists using cane toad toxin to eradicate the amphibian pest from isolated areas...

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 02:32:07 +0200

Cane toads. Photo / Getty Images

Scientists say they have found the best weapon yet to eradicate cane toads from isolated areas - using the amphibians' own toxin.

Professor Rick Shine from the University of Sydney's school of biological sciences said the system was already trapping tens of thousands of cane toad tadpoles, and could see the toads eradicated from some areas. The technique relies on research that two years ago found that cane toad tadpoles were attracted to the eggs of their own kind.

Shine said the tadpoles probably sought out the eggs to kill newly hatched tadpoles, which would compete for food.

It was eventually realised that the tadpoles found the eggs via the toad's venom. Scientists then realised they could use the venom as a bait, which repels native frogs.

The scientists captured tens of thousands of young cane toads within a few days, and completely eradicated the toads from billabongs about 50m in diameter.

Acknowledgements: - AAP

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10812828

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Some history of my adopted home, the Hutt Valley...

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:37:45 +0200

Read some history of the Hutt Valley, the green valley about ten miles from the New Zealand capital city of Wellington. The Hutt River winds its way down from the hills that spawned it, down from the small northern city of Upper Hutt, further down through the Hutt Valley to the larger southern city of Lower Hutt to the sea in Wellington Harbour; on its way it passes through my suburb of 'Taita'. A lot of references to the name "Hutt" for sure, a man involved in the colonial settlement of Wellington City and the Province of Wellington as well.

History of the Hutt Valley:

Hutt Valley has an ancient history that includes Maori mythology of taniwha and stories that show the area as a place of national and international importance.

Discover the stories of how this region became the place of the first organised settlement by the New Zealand Company out of England and grew as an important service centre for the nation.

The settlement of Hutt Valley is the story of the settlement of Wellington, capital of New Zealand.

http://www.huttvalleynz.com/About-Hutt-Valley/History-Hutt-Valley/

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A cat thrown from overpass hit drivers windscreen...

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:53:52 +0200

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a cat was allegedly thrown from highway overpass in Sydney's southwest last night.

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About 7pm, a 60-year-old man was driving south along the Hume Highway when he saw something falling from the Menangle Park Bridge.

The object struck the man’s car, causing the windscreen to crack and extensive damage to the roof.

Police from Campbelltown Local Area Command were called to the scene and found the body of a fully-grown cat lying on the road approximately 100 metres behind the car.

Investigators suspect the animal was thrown from the overpass as it is partially enclosed making climbing difficult.

The cat was taken to a local vet and scanned for a microchip but none could be found.

The motorist was not hurt and able to drive his car from the scene.

Police want to speak with any motorists who might have seen anyone on or near the overpass around the time of the incident.

Anyone who can help should contact Campbelltown Local Area Command or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Australia buying Kiwi troops@ $250,000 each...

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 04:18:08 +0200

The Australian Army wants snipers, military police, pilots and dentists.

Kiwi soldiers are being head-hunted to join the Australian Army with $250,000 cash bonuses.

The hired guns are getting the lucrative sign-on fee, as well as fast-tracked citizenship, in a bid to boost Australia's military ranks.

But the move to recruit foreign "mercenaries" from New Zealand - and other countries including America, Germany, South Africa, Poland and Singapore - has angered veterans' groups across the Ditch.

War graves advocate John Saddington told the Herald Sun newspaper in Melbourne that the practice was "an absolute disgrace", adding: "We are hiring mercenaries."

The NZ Defence Force, meanwhile, confirmed yesterday that it employs a similar "lateral recruitment" process to attract soldiers from around the world. A spokesman said it was "fairly standard practice" for international armies to trade staff.

The Australian Army wants snipers, military police, pilots and dentists, while the Navy needs submarine technicians and medical office

Foreign recruits can also get their Australian citizenship fast-tracked after three months of service.

Figures obtained by the Courier-Mail in Brisbane reveal that 726 international military personnel have arrived since 2006 at an estimated total relocation cost of $128 million.

"The ADF [Australian Defence Force] contributes to the cost of relocating lateral recruits," a Defence Department spokesman told the paper.

"The costs vary according to the family composition and size, but is typically A$150,000 to $200,000 [$192,000-$256,000]. Given the significant cost of training and building experience in new military recruits, this cost represents good value."

The ADF said new trained soldiers earn about A$56,000 a year. Salaries increase with experience and promotions.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10812382

Acknowledgements: APNZ

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Read and see a little of NZ...

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 11:33:02 +0200

Read and see a little of New Zealand.

“Mum, are there elephants in New Zealand? No there aren’t”
“Dad, are there kangaroos in New Zealand? No there aren’t any either”
“But what is there in New Zealand, then?”

http://www.ouatnewzealand.com/new-zealand-tour-operators

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