Tag: Wellington

Wildfires raze dozens of homes in New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Wildfires have destroyed up to 50 homes in New Zealand, authorities announced Monday, saying it was a miracle no one was hurt as “a wall of orange” razed most of a remote South Island village. The blaze began in a mountain forest early Sunday morning and, fanned by strong winds, swept through the village of Lake Ohau, forcing residents to flee for their lives. Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) […]

Mussels ‘cooked alive’ in balmy New Zealand ocean

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Up to half a million mussels were effectively cooked in the wild in unusually balmy waters on the New Zealand coast in a massive “die-off” that marine experts have linked to climate change. The dead mollusks were found by Auckland man Brandon Ferguson earlier this month at Maunganui Bluff Beach, near the northern tip of the North Island. Footage posted to social media shows a stunned Ferguson wading through rockpools choked […]

Prince Harry, Meghan get traditional Maori welcome in Wellington, receive rock star reception

  WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Prince Harry and Meghan arrived in Wellington Sunday to a traditional Maori welcome, an official reception disrupted by a fire alarm and a rock star reception during a public walkabout. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on the last leg of a 16-day, four-nation tour which was timed to coincide with the 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney. They flew in from Sydney on a Royal New Zealand Air […]

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern expecting a baby

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Friday she is expecting her first baby in June, making her the country’s first leader to give birth while in office. The 37-year-old, who took office in October, said the pregnancy was “unexpected but exciting” for her and partner Clarke Gayford. “We’re both really happy. We wanted a family but weren’t sure it would happen for us,” she said in a statement. The charismatic leader […]

New Zealand mourns after ‘First Cat’ Paddles run over by car

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — New Zealand was mourning the loss of the nation’s “First Cat” Wednesday after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s pet puss Paddles was run over by a car in Auckland. The prime minister’s office confirmed that the ginger and white rescue cat, also described by Ardern as the PM (Prime Moggy), died in an accident on Tuesday. “To anyone who has ever lost a pet, you’ll know how sad we feel,” the […]