New Zealand Search Blog

The School Holidays are almost here, kicking off from July 6 and running for two fun-filled weeks until July 17. Do you have a plan to keep your kids entertained?

Or have you started pulling your hair out already with the very thought of winter holidays?

Have no fear, NZS.com is here. There are loads of things you can do to keep your kids occupied during the school holiday period.

If your kids are younger, you can do fun indoor activities like furniture obstacle courses, musical chairs and scrapbooking. Need to get out of the house? If you strike a fine day, how about a trip to the local wildlife park, or check out one of the great holiday movies at the local cinema. For more ideas, check out our other school holiday entertainment tips.

And don’t forget to treat yourself to a babysitter during the school holidays, you are sure to need a break yourself!

The team here are very excited with the way the recently launched Website Resources section on NZS.com is building momentum since it was launched last month. Businesses from across New Zealand are getting involved by adding their business details directly to NZS.com including using the extra marketing options for marketing descriptions, search tags and even marketing URL’s like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Anyone adding their business details also receives a “Business Info” button next to their website listing in the normal category results which is proving a valuable addition. For an example, have a look at the Black Sheep Marketing listing further down the page on the Strategic Marketing category. This helps increase clicks through to your website from NZS.com and it only takes a few minutes to complete.

To give you an idea of the information you could have on NZS.com as well you can see what Avatar Web Promotions have entered on the Avatar.co.nz Site Profile.

All you need to do is head along to the Website Resources section on NZS.com, register and follow the instructions.

While you’re there, if you’re interested in a succinct introduction on how New Zealand websites can enhance their performance, usability and visibility, read The First 15 - A Guide To Improving Website Performance.

One lucky person who shopped at Trafalgar Lotto in Wanganui has won the largest prize to date from the NZ Lotteries Commission and is the Big Wednesday Winner of a 1st Division prize of $36,193,461 as well as the 2nd Division prize of $696,795.

You can see full details of the Big Wednesday draw winners here:  Draw #192, 24th June 2009

The winning numbers of each weeks draws are available through the Big Wednesday Results page.

Congratulations to the winner!

It’s an exciting week for many who regularly buy lottery tickets as the maximum Big Wednesday draw must be hit this week. You’ll be able to see the Big Wednesday Results on the NZS.com New Zealand Lotto pages following the draw.

Last week (Draw #191) was the final week where the jackpot could have gone before it reached its maximum allowed level of $30 million. There was no 1st Division winner, so the jackpot rolled over to a “must go”.

On the MyLotto.co.nz website the must win jackpot work is described as follows;

If the cash prize component of the prize reaches $30 million and there is no First Division winner, Big Wednesday must be won, therefore the First Division prize is added to the next lowest prize division which has one or more winning tickets.

Good luck if you’re buying a ticket and if you’re a keen fan of the games, you can bookmark the New Zealand Lotto pages or read more about the History of Lotto on NZS.com.

If you’ve noticed your electricity bill creeping up over winter, you’ve probably considered shopping around to compare electricity suppliers and cut costs.

Now that New Zealanders have the option to compare electricity prices online, reducing your power bill has never been easier.

Forget donning several layers to keep warm around the house if you’re conscious of your budget, because you can now choose the cheapest power products and options at the click of your mouse.

By being able to compare electricity prices and suppliers online, households can now reduce their power bills without having to cut down on winter essentials like the heating.

Just like browsing the ‘specials’ aisle in the supermarket, shopping around for electricity online means consumers now have the power to select the most cost effective options, shop for electricity specials, and purchase products that spread their bill payments out over time, so your power bill doesn’t skyrocket over winter.

To learn more about comparing electricity prices online check out the NZS.com directory.

Is your occupational health and safety up to standard?

Winter can be a crucial time to think about the occupational safety of your workers, with hazards ranging from wet and icy conditions to nasty flu viruses doing the rounds.

New Zealand employees and employers often overlook potential workplace health and safety risks simply because want to muck in and get the job done. But while taking on the typical ‘she’ll be right, mate’ attitude can seem faster in the short term, the long term dangers can have lasting effects.

While catching the latest bug circulating around the office may keep you at home for a few days, taking a fall due or slipping due to wet winter conditions at work could mean being away from work for months.

So what impact could workplace safety issues have on your? If you’re an employer, how would your business cope with losing a valuable staff member for that amount of time? And if you’re an employee, could you still provide for your family?

Make sure you’re doing all you can to protect yourself, your co-workers and your employees by getting your occupational safety up to scratch.

Find out more about occupational health and safety in the NZS.com directory.

In a move surprising some economists, the Official Cash Rate (OCR) will at this stage remain unchanged at 2.50 percent.

Today’s review is the first in nine evaluations that the central bank hasn’t further cut the OCR.

Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard says the economic outlook remains weak both in New Zealand and overseas, however there are signs that international economic activity is stabilising, and international financial conditions are improving.

The New Zealand economy is expected to begin growing again toward the end of this year, but the recovery is likely to be slow, with key economic indicators such as unemployment being projected to continue deteriorating well into 2010.

Statistics New Zealand figures show unemployment rose to 115,000, or 5 percent, in March to reach its highest level in six years.

The OCR has been slashed from 8.25 percent to 2.5 percent between July 2008 and April this year. The cuts by the Reserve Bank have been suggested by some media sources as an attempt to breathe new life into a domestic economy facing the worst global economic crisis since World War II.

Mr Bollard says the OCR could still move modestly lower over the coming quarters, staying at or below the current level through until late next year.

Remember those famous, all too insightful words of gumbooted Kiwi bloke persona Fred Dagg?

Well, if you’re in need of some reminding as to just how lucky we are, mate, New Zealand has just been named the world’s most peaceful nation.

The land of the long white cloud jumped ahead three spots in the Global Peace Index in 2009, knocking last year’s leader, Iceland, off the top spot.

Now in its third year, the index defines peace as “the absence of violence,” and looks at 23 indicators of peacefulness across 144 countries. Internally, these include homicides, the percentage of the population in jail, the availability of guns, and level of organized crime. External indicators include the size of the military, the exports and imports of arms, battlefield deaths, United Nations peacekeeping contributions, and relations with neighbouring states.

New Zealand scored highly because of its stable government, high level of respect for human rights and relatively small defence spending. The world’s major military powers scored poorly, with Russia at 136th and China 74th.

The US was 83rd, due to its enormous military and the fact it still jails a higher proportion of its population than any of the other 143 nations in the Global Peace Index.

Caught the ski-bunny bug? Now the slopes are open for the season skiers and snowboarders from all over New Zealand and abroad are booking time out in their diaries to take to the mountains.

It may be getting a tad cool to take to the countryside for campervan holidays, but winter doesn’t mean you still can’t get out and experience the majestic beauty of New Zealand’s great outdoors.

Whether you’re a novice or old-hand, taking a skiing holiday over the winter is a great recreational option given the range of fantastic New Zealand ski destinations.

If you decide to ski in the North Island check out Mt Ruapehu, located in the Tongoriro National Park. Just four hours drive from Auckland you’ll pass through some of the world’s most spectacular scenery on the way.

In the South Island the choice is fantastic. If you want to enjoy a true New Zealand holiday in winter, try your hand skiing or snowboarding at Mt Hutt. The Arthurs Pass region and Hanmer Springs have several smaller ski fields which are great for day trips.

Queenstown is of course New Zealand’s premier skiing destination.

Surrounded by spectacular alpine scenery, there are four major ski resorts and several minor ones in the Queenstown and Wanaka region. The most famous of these and the closest to Queenstown’s accommodation is Coronet Peak, which recently underwent a multi-million dollar face lift and is only twenty minutes drive from the center of Queenstown along a sealed road.

The Remarkables are about 45 minutes drive, and Cardrona is situated further into the range. Cardrona has the highest snowfall in the region and is the only south island ski resort with on snow accommodation. Treble Cone is closer to Wanaka, is the largest ski resort in area in the South Island and has the highest vertical drop.

It does pay to remember that most ski and snowboarding fields in New Zealand do not have their own accommodation, so you’ll need to find somewhere nearby if you plan on staying overnight. Get in touch with a travel advice expert to ensure you get the best deal and advice in planning your skiing adventure.

Warm up your winter with a skiing adventure and find travel information and tips in the NZS.com directory.

The 2009 Super 14 competition has finally come to an end, with the Bulls beating out the Chiefs a whopping 61-17 in Pretoria over the weekend (May 31).

In a fast-paced final game the home team used its advantage to run in eight tries to two by the Chiefs who, despite scoring first, met a disappointing end at the hands of a side who had dominated throughout the competition.

The Bulls had made it to the top of the table going into the semi finals, with10 games won and only 3 lost after 14 weeks of game play. They beat the Crusaders 36-23 in their semi-final match on May 24.

For more detailed information from throughout the season, check out the Super 14 results and standings articles on NZS.com.