Protect your bananas!

From the weird, wacky and wonderful file…

The creator of the banana protector answers the question on the lips of many a banana-toting New Zealander:

“Are you fed up with bringing bananas to work or school only to find them bruised and squashed?”

The unique, patented Banana Guard device allows for the safe transport and storage of individual bananas, letting you enjoy perfect bananas anytime, anywhere. They’re designed to fit “the vast majority of bananas” and feature “small perforations to facilitate ventilation…preventing premature ripening.”

Well, I’m glad someone’s got their priorities straight. Go bananas in our fresh produce section and grab yourself some fresh fruit.

Ruapehu eruption

Mother Nature’s always keeping us on our toes and catching us by surprise…

Last night people fled from the slopes of Mount Ruapehu, as an eruption shook the area at around 8:20pm.

A 22-year-old climber was rescued from the mountain and is recovering in Waikato Hospital from leg injuries and hypothermia. He was injured when a rock fell through the roof of his hut where he was staying with three friends. There were no reports of other injuries.

The volcanic eruption sent two lahars (muddy torrents) down the northern and eastern slopes of the mountain, taking out a monitoring hut near the crater lake. The geothermal activity sent plumes of black smoke into the air, which were seen by pilots flying in the area. Skifields and ski lodges were evacuated, and roads and rail links closed last night.

The eruption has been described as a ‘blue sky’ eruption, as there was no prior warning or indicator that an eruption was imminent. It was similar to eruptions in 1969 and 1975, but smaller than those in 1995 and 1996.

Mount Ruapehu is the largest active volcano in New Zealand and, at 2,797 metres, is the highest point in the North Island. For more on this mammoth mountain, visit our New Zealand volcanoes category.

Carbon Crusade for the environment: every step counts

Here are two words for you: Personal. Responsibility.

As an advocate for the environment, I also harp on about personal responsibility when it comes to these things. If you’re not going to do something positive, then those around you won’t bother either. But if you do take positive action, then others around you may be inspired to do the same (think how wide your social circle reaches). On a larger scale, if people take action on an issue, the trend will gain momentum until it’s a fully-fledged social movement.

Now Hubbards (yes, the friendly face of breakfast cereal) has launched the Carbon Crusade, with lofty ambitions to battle climate change. Er, I mean Climate Change. Yes, it’s big, but they’re doing it one step at a time with the philosophy that every step counts.

The Carbon Crusade is a series of off-road running and walking events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Each participant will walk or run a 13-15km course, stopping halfway to plant four native trees. Climate change is caused by rising levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, which are attributed to (among other things) the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, petrol, gas and coal. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) is the most predominant greenhouse gas – trees absorb and store CO₂, so they’re the perfect antidote. By taking part, you’ll also get the chance to admire stunning views from usually inaccessible parts of our be-oot-iful country.

Get into it; you know you want to.

Flight of the Conchords: they're funny in anyone's language

Am I the only one who feels a tingle of pride when Kiwis make it big overseas? We can all bask in the glow of successful, talented New Zealanders like Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, otherwise known as the Flight of the Conchords. (Yes, I have been heard to rave about Clement’s performance in Eagle vs Shark).

This comic musical duo has hit the bigtime in America, a notoriously difficult market to crack. With humour that’s refreshingly dry, the series has attracted a cult following in America, the United Kingdom and at home. Sure, they’re funny to us, but it’s rare for our comedy to translate so well globally. Defying the odds, the show has been dubbed “a very smart, very funny show” by reviewers (and viewers) everywhere. All those YouTube clips, ringtones, t-shirts and ‘Conchordisms’ being thrown around are sure signs these Kiwis are soaring to heady heights.

Now, I’ll admit I heard the hype long before I laid ears on the dulcet tones of these two quirky songbirds, but unlike many hyped acts these guys live up to their publicity. The show’s premise is simple: two Kiwi musicians head to London to make it big, with only a stalkeresque fan and a manager who can’t seem to land them any gigs. Sounds like this might be based on a true story?

If you’re not yet a Conchords convert, tune in for classic love ballads like these: “You’re so beautiful, you could be a waitress… You could be an air hostess in the Sixties… You’re so beautiful, you could be a part-time model, but you’d probably still have to keep your normal job.”

Mondays, 10:00pm on Prime Television. Be there.

NZ Daylight Savings changes – is your PC confused?

The extension of daylight savings this year is being welcomed by most New Zealanders, but it’s already causing lost sleep at night for some software providers, as computers are set to automatically change the time based on the standard time changes to date.

So, what to do about it? The New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs has written to key software providers about the change, although we can all imagine how slow that update is going to be!

On the DIA website you can find a link to Microsoft Resources for updating Daylight Savings changes.

Ah, if only Sundays came round more often

Heading into the weekend (is it just me, or do they never seem long enough?) this tidbit definitely fits the bill.

What if every second day was a Sunday? Well, it almost was for one lucky person. Scott, an Auckland bookstore assistant, wrote to the NZ Herald saying:

“A customer returned with a 2008 diary he purchased on the weekend. As he was flicking through his diary, he was dumbfounded as every other day seemed to be a Sunday. He told staff he thought he was going mad. But we realised he was quite correct… Sunday, Monday, Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday, Friday, Sunday, Sunday, Sunday… We found that it was a huge printing error and were told to destroy it. Just think how wonderful it would be if every other day was a Sunday.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Fashion charity auction for dapper do-gooders

If you’ve seen the stylish rags on show at Air New Zealand Fashion Week, you might be interested in bidding in the fashion charity auction run by a popular online auction site. Not only will you be impeccably dressed, you’ll be supporting New Zealand’s nationwide rescue helicopter service.

Bidders have the chance to get their mitts on the latest in couture t-shirts, singlets and dresses made by six top Kiwi fashion designers: Elusiv, Federation, Salasai, Lonely Hearts Club and Chelsea Thorpe. Both women’s and men’s items are available in a selection of styles and sizes.

Bid generously to support the rescue helicopter service – they rely on corporate sponsorship and public donations to keep their choppers in the air.

Air New Zealand Fashion Week takes flight

So, another example of Kiwi cool that just can’t be cringed at!

Air New Zealand Fashion Week is an annual event, now confident and unabashedly proud in its seventh year. The event showcases the best of contemporary Kiwi couture from both emerging and established designers. We may be all the way downunder (far from the catwalks of Paris and Milan), but it turns out we do know a thing or two about style, glitz and glamour.

Creativity, amazing talent, celebrities, beautiful fabrics, edgy designs, trend-setting garments – NZ Fashion Week has it all. Buyers and media come from throughout New Zealand and around the world to see what’s on offer. My picks for what to watch?

• Cybele – a conceptually focused brand with a range characterised by unconstrained imagination.
  
• Juliette Hogan – just think simplicity, style, practicality, sophistication and femininity, all rolled into one.
• Deadly Ponies – apart from the cool name, these two designers are making waves with their innovative artisan accessories.
• Elusiv – and one for the men (so often left out in the cold, fashion-wise); this Dunedin label creates clothes that are “decisive, strong and assuredly masculine.”

And there’s much more where that came from. Check out other hot New Zealand fashion.

Wild walking, part 4: Who?

Who do you go tramping with?

People you can get along with, and who are reliable, and have good judgement.

You will be spending most of the time on your tramp in the company of your tramping partners. Sometimes, tramping can be pretty miserable – you can be tired, wet, hungry, frustrated, and worried, all at the same time. Such situations tend to bring out the best and worst in people. You will also have times on a tramp where you are witness to breathtaking natural beauty. These times seem better when shared with a friend you trust.

A good selection of people with the right qualities for tramping partners can be found, unsurprisingly, in a tramping club. Often, you will be able to learn much from more experienced members of tramping clubs. Mind you, there often seem to be one or two people who rub you the wrong way.

I’ve found tramping with family a good way of enriching family relationships. I started taking my kids on overnight tramps when they were about 5 or 6 years old and they have, by and large, enjoyed it. The key to tramping with children is light packs and good snacks. Half-hour chocolate stops keep their energy and spirits up, especially on the hills.

Ahmed Zaoui given the all clear…officially

The ongoing saga of Algerian refugee, Ahmed Zaoui, continues. In a sudden about-face, the Security Intelligence Service has withdrawn the security risk certificate earlier issued against him. The story first aired in March 2003, when Zaoui was declared a security risk. For the refugee and his family, there’s been nothing but media scrutiny, delays, uncertainty and ongoing legal action since.

Why has this story been in the spotlight? I guess the plight of this single man has raised the idea of ‘freedom’ in New Zealand’s consciousness. What freedoms do we take for granted? How do we measure our rights to freedom? And how can we grow into a tolerant multi-racial nation? Freedom of speech and freedom of belief are values that characterise us as New Zealanders (think: our anti-nuclear policy, the Springbok tour protests, our stance on the war in Iraq).

So, what now for New Zealand’s most famous refugee? Zaoui hopes that his family will soon join him here and (as he has said from the beginning) he is happy to abide by New Zealand’s laws and standards of conduct. And this strongly Muslim man will also play a role in brokering better relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in New Zealand communities.

Zaoui was detained for 736 days without charge, including 10 months in solitary confinement. Following today’s decision, he said:

“I am happy, I am delighted, and I can say I am relieved, not just because my name is cleared but the security risk is removed. I am no longer considered a threat to New Zealand.”