Times Media Covid-19 Lockdown Flipbook 9-4-20

Unite against COVID-19

www.times.co.nz updating you on the latest Covid-19 local developments TAKING YOU TO NEW

TIMES

AWARD-WINNING VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY – NZCNA Thursday, April 9, 2020

LATEST NEWS

Est. 1972 Phone 09 271 8000 | Facebook Times Online | www.times.co.nz

IN THIS ISSUE

LOCKDOWN IN PICTURES Times photographer WAYNE MARTIN does what he does best

GOING TO THE BACH?

Too much paranoia PAGE 5

Yeah, nah!

COVID-19 UPDATE Numbers are falling

Contact us – we’re

OPEN

Providing all your legal needs during lockdown and beyond Phone 09 533 3539 www.fenciblelaw.co.nz

0800 FENCIBLE

JH15958

Easter Church Services St Paul’s In The Park are offering

Easter Services via a website link

on Good Friday - 10 April 2020 and

Howick Presbyterian Church

MP3559

St Andrew’s Church Centre Cnr Vincent St & Ridge Rd, Howick www.howpres.org.nz Sunday, March 22 9.30am Family Service with King’s Kids Thursday, March 26 10am Morning Worship Phone 535-4403

HOWICK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Our Minister, Rev Matt Chapman is preparing youtube videos for the congregation to tune in to at

9.30am on Good Friday and 9.30am on Easter Sunday

DE0166

Go to our website or facebook page for further details

Everyone most welcome to visit our website to find the link

www.stpaulsinthepark.nz

Rev Warner Wilder, 021 548 407 | warnerwilder30@gmail.com

www.howpres.org.nz

MP3558

Easter Sunday - 12 April 2020

www.facebook.com

Easter Epic

@ Pakuranga Baptist Church online this weekend on Facebook and Youtube!

10AM GOOD FRIDAY MP3560

JOURNEY TO THE CROSS AND

10AM EA STER S UNDAY

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESURRECTION MP3561

MP3557

EASTER: FROM A DISTANCE Rev Brett Jones from the East Auckland Ministers’ Association Executive offers some reflections on Easter in 2020.

This Easter is very different for all of us.

No matter our traditions, cultures and faith.

We’ll all be living a different flavour of Easter. There won’t be any last gasp trips to beaches and baches before the summer sun deserts us.

Easter egg hunts will be bubble-only affairs. The Easter Show, so last year. And yet, bear hunts and footpath chalk art tell us something that we don’t see at a distance. Neighbours living up closer and more personal. The newly running and the walking greeting each other across the previously reserved social divide.

From a distance, we are in lockdown. But when you take a closer look, something new and fresh is emerging in our communities. The emergence of new life from what has passed is a rhythm as old as Creation itself. Jesus, himself, captures this idea beautifully when speaking to his followers: “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” John 12:24.

In a culture that lived closer to the land than is our experience in recent times, this was a self-evident truth. Many of us are finding the link more present in our own living as winter gardens are springing up in backyards!

But Jesus, was not simply referencing the rhythm of life and death, he was speaking into a deeper question. He was responding to a request made by some foreign visitors to Bethsaida – we want to see Jesus. They had come from a distance, to see what all the fuss was about, up close and personal.

Easter is a good time to ask the question: how do I see Jesus? And this Easter, more than any other, is whispering some of the harder questions to us. What is this life all about? Is there an opportunity to see Jesus up close and personal? To bridge the distance?

Jesus’ answer on that day in Bethsaida is revealing. He follows one poetic utterance with another: “Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those

who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.”

The central tenet of Jesus’ teaching is this kind of radical love that elevates the needs of others, rather than simply the needs of self. We’ve never needed this more than in a time where panic-buying and vigilante lockdown enforcement, reveal the fears that we are all confronting in ourselves.

Many are meeting online in this season where connection and community are even more important. You’re welcome to take a closer look this Easter at our online church gatherings, to take the opportunity to close the distance. To discover that God longs to be up close and personal with us.

Rev Brett Jones – Senior Pastor cession|community www.cession.org.nz

But Jesus also makes it personal. He invites us to follow Him. This invitation is one where social distancing will not work for us.

The call to follow Jesus is an invitation to intimacy with God, a call that starts and finishes with Jesus’ own death and resurrection. Unless God himself falls to the earth and dies.

From a distance, it might look like our local Howick ward churches are in lockdown, but in every way that matters churches continue to operate as our community pulls together.

East Auckland Ministers Association comprises the nearly 70 churches operating in the Howick Ward area. If you are struggling in this lockdown period, take the opportunity to ask your local church for help. Details of community support and online worship services are available online.

Essential Services GAS REFILLS

MOTORCYCLES

LOCKSMITH

OPEN

LPG

CCTV

for WOF, service (all brands) & parts – if you need your motorcycle for work or if it is your only form of transport

AVAILABLE 24/7 CCTV ACCESS CONTROL

NEW CYLINDERS NOW AVAILABLE FREE SAFETY CHECK

New Zealand’s Leading Locksmith and Alarm Specialists

SPRINGSGATE ENERGY CENTRE 30 Springs Rd, East Tamaki

B O T A N Y

LOCKDOWN HOURS Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 9am-12noon Ph 09 274 8229 or 021 744 486 Email autolpg@xtra.co.nz

Ph Ph27(09)4 274 29or 021 944 351 822727

Talk to us about...

CHECK YOUR •Locks • Keys • Safes • Alarms • CCTV • Access Control THIS SUMMER Armstrong Smarter Security Ph: 09 274 0999 | 0800 506 111 www.armstrong.co.nz

WINDOW STAYS DE0159

DE0167

JU1549-v2

www.botanyhonda.co.nz

HEALTH

RUBBISH CHECK YOUR

WINDOW STAYS THIS SUMMER

REMAINING OPEN 24/7

Local NZ Registered Electrician No job too big or too small!

24 hour emergency service

DURING THIS LOCKDOWN PERIOD

No call out fee

RUBBISH REMOVAL Household, Garden, Pest Control, Arborist, Waste & General Rubbish Rapid Property Group Ltd Ph: 0800 789 248

260 Botany Road, Howick Phone 09 277 1516 | www.eastcare.co.nz

CD48042

DE0162

JU1550

We have increased patient safety protocols, with cleaning and protective equipment in order to keep you safe.

Don’t wait if you need care — we have capacity to see you and your family now!

We can also offer phone or video consultations while you are at home (fees apply) so please contact us.

if you mention this advert



H O N D A

MOTORCYCLES

ELECTRICIAN

021 130 7217 09 217 2217

ACCESS CONTROL 09 274 0999

www.armstrong.co

WE CAN FILL ALL LPG CYLINDERS FROM 2KG TO 45KG

www.autogascentre.com

09 274 0999

www.armstrong.co.nz

PLUMBERS

Drain unblocking CCTV camera Retaining walls

Drain Repairs Surface water problems All drainage requirements

Pipers Drainage Ph Rick: 027 256 2533 Registered Drainlayers. Free quotes and advice.

DE0161

Available to do essential urgent jobs such as Repairs & Replacement of Burst HWC and Leaking Valves, Unblocking of Toilets, Repairs to Leaking Soil & Waste Pipes, Burst Pipe Repairs Bradshaw Plumbing Ph: 09 527 3053, 09 268 1007 or 0274 743 505 DE0157

0800 420 900

Incorporating

www.aucklandplumbersgroup.co.nz/covid-19

DE0160

BRADSHAW PLUMBING

DAD: SENSELESS PROCEDURES Golflands resident Eric Neal is very upset about the way his daughter Kim and granddaughter Hayley were treated when they arrived from the UK in Auckland after an exhausting 36-hour flight on March 26. He writes about the ‘shabby treatment’ of New Zealand citizens who have their home isolation plan well in place.

BY ERIC NEAL It seems that the paranoia around overseas arrivals is actually having the opposite of the desired effect. My daughter and granddaughter (threeyear-old) arrived at Auckland Airport on Thursday evening with a perfectly good home-isolation plan in place.

Eric Neal’s daughter Kim and granddaughter Hayley are worse off than when they arrived from UK almost two weeks ago.

Photo supplied

After airport tests, where neither of them showed any symptoms, they were then, without any communication about what was happening, all herded into a crowded bus and dropped at a hotel where they had to stand in a carpark for potentially 1.5 hours. No priority was given to them even though she was the only person there with a small child. They had been travelling for over 36 hours.

She went to the front to ask what was happening and explained she had accommodation arranged which had been approved by Immigration at the airport. They asked her how she planned on getting to the accommodation so she put that question back to them since they’d dropped her there. They contacted the Ministry of Health who advised that a family member could pick her up. She conveyed how ridiculous that advice was considering it puts them at risk and told them her father is 73-years-old! She then decided to stay for one night since it was getting late and my granddaughter needed food and sleep, and she did too.

The next morning she phoned downstairs to let them know she’d be leaving that day.

Reception said it was unlikely and they would speak to the police. She reiterated that she would be leaving. The nurse called her and Kim explained about her situation, accommodation, etc. The nurse was happy with everything but advised her to stay in her room until contacted, as the Ministry of Health were arriving at 8am.

Nobody called and she heard from someone from another room that there was a huge queue in the lobby waiting to be tested so they could leave. As nobody from the hotel would help with her luggage, she moved it all herself and stood in a queue for an hour. The woman in front

of her lived in Auckland and was with her husband who has cancer. They weren’t allowed to immediately go home from the airport to their own residence where they were going to self-isolate.

The woman behind Kim had cancer and was having huge difficulty breathing.

The thermometer they were using was one that had to be used under the arm or under the tongue and was being cleaned with alcohol each time. Kim opted for under the arm and both were cleared. No further checks were done with regards to where she was going, and she was free to leave.

The arrangement with taxis was that you have to sit 2 metres apart from the driver

and the driver has to agree not to use the vehicle for another 72 hours. Instead, we opted to arrange to drop off a car to the hotel so that she could drive to her arranged self-isolation accommodation.

Fortunately, she is able to drive.

Both my daughter and granddaughter have now developed a cough. It is sad that they were put further at risk by the authorities. Kim already knew the welcome home wouldn’t be as she imagined it two months ago, but this treatment was totally unexpected.

Let us keep safe, but please don’t exacerbate the problem with senseless procedures due to paranoia. Hopefully my granddaughter and daughter will get through it, but no thanks the authorities.

SUPPORTING PAKURANGA COMMUNITY DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN Supporting the Pakuranga community during the Covid-19 level four lockdown is my top priority during this crisis says Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown.

“Over the past three weeks my office and I have been busier than ever answering emails and phone calls as the country faces what is one of the biggest challenges ever.

“As part of our response we have been working hard to ensure our community is connected and is supporting each other.”

“One of the initiatives which we have rolled out is the launch of the Pakuranga & Howick Street Captain network.

“I have been blown away with the response with over 200 people putting their hands up as representatives of their streets to lead local efforts to identify and help anyone in need during the Covid-19 alert level 4 lockdown.”

“This effort is crucial to ensuring that noone is left behind during this very difficult time. Some in our community will be living alone and may not have any family or friends to help them.”

“If you have not heard from anyone on your street about this then it’s possible a

Street Captain hasn’t volunteered from your street.

“If this is the case and you would like to take on this role yourself, please visit simeonbrown.national.org.nz/ covid19connect and fill in the form.”

“We are also focussing on supporting those who need some extra assistance at this time – particularly those over 70.

“If you know someone who needs extra assistance or is struggling with necessary tasks like grocery shopping

then please get in touch by calling 09 572 0000, emailing PakurangaMP@ parliament.govt.nz, or providing their details at simeonbrown.national.org.nz/ covid19help.

“My office will put them in touch with someone who can assist or connect them with the right assistance.”

“If we all pull together as a community during these tough times we can ensure everyone is taken care of and the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown are minimal.”

CANNABIS OPERATION BUSTED IN HOWICK A man is to appear in court after a police bust yielded a sizeable cannabis operation in Howick.

Police responded yesterday afternoon to reports of a person

squatting at a residential house in Elliot Street.

Enquiries at the address resulted in the discovery of a cannabis cultivation operation.

Police said around 80 cannabis plants were seized and a 40-yearold male has been arrested and will appear in the Manukau District Court charged with cultivating cannabis.

Photo by Next Green Wave on Unsplash

50 NEW CASES OF COVID-19;

NEW TOTAL 1210

From Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield

Today there are 50 new cases of Covid-19 to report – made up of 26 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 24 new probable cases. There are no additional deaths to report.

workers infected in New Zealand were infected inside or outside the workplace.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

DATA ON TESTING We have analysed the data available for 35,000 people tested, which is for 39,000 tests as some people are tested more than once.

As at Wednesday, April 8, 2020

There are now 282 reported cases which we can confirm have recovered – an increase of 41 on yesterday.

cases carried out to date to 46,875.

From that we can see that generally the DHBs doing the most testing are also the DHBs with the most confirmed and probable cases.

The combined total of confirmed and probable cases in New Zealand is 1210.

Our seven-day rolling average of tests is at 3343 per day.

The ethnicity of the 35,000 people tested is:

There are 12 people in hospital, including four in ICU – one each in Wellington, Waitemata, Counties Manukau and Southern DHBs. Two of these ICU patients are in a critical condition.

Our test capacity continues to increase and we have supplies in stock for nearly 49,000 tests. We expect to have between 50,000 to 60,000 complete tests in stock by the end of the week.

• • • •

For those cases we have information on, we are still seeing a strong link to overseas travel though this is declining (41 per cent), as well as links to confirmed cases within New Zealand (43 per cent) including those in clusters we already know about and community transmission (2 per cent). We are still investigating 14 per cent of cases.

HEALTH CARE WORKERS AFFECTED We have 64 health care workers who are confirmed or probable for Covid-19.

The largest categories are 20 support or care workers; 17 nurses; 7 administrative-related roles; seven doctors and three medical students.

There are still 12 significant clusters. Our three largest clusters remain the same: Matamata (62); Bluff (81); and Marist College (84).

We know six of these 64 healthcare workers with Covid-19 have recovered.

TESTING

We also know that more than a quarter of those have travelled overseas recently.

There were 4098 tests processed yesterday bringing the total number of

We are working on a breakdown to determine how many of our healthcare

•

Maori: 13.6 per cent Pasifika: 7.8 per cent Asian: 12 per cent Middle Eastern and Latin American: 2 per cent European and other: 64.2 per cent

The data, which currently excludes Waikato, will be regularly updated.

FLU VACCINATION We do have sufficient vaccine for our priority groups; those over 70, pregnant women and those with specific underlying health conditions. For those over 70s needing vaccinations, they are able to travel to get a flu vaccination – if they can’t get one from their local practice. This is regarded as essential travel.

Travel for care for acute or usual care for chronic conditions are also both regarded as essential travel.

A MESSAGE FROM POLICE: HAVE A SAFE EASTER – AT HOME Thinking of going to the bach or visit family this Easter weekend?

Don’t. There’ll be police checkpoints on strategic routes. Police are urging New Zealanders to stay safe by staying home this Easter.

Newly-appointed commissioner Andrew Coster had the following to say about police’s efforts to enforce the lockdown: “Police will be ramping up visibility in communities and on the roads including operating checkpoints over the Easter period, making sure people are safe and complying with the Covid-19 alert level 4 restrictions.

“We know many New Zealanders may have been planning to catch up with friends and family this weekend, or travel to traditional holiday destinations but we urge anyone who was planning to do this – please change your plans and stay home.

“To help ensure people know about the Health Act restrictions, police will be out and about checking that people are travelling for essential purposes only.

“Officers will be visible in our communities and on the roads, including around popular holiday spots, and on the arterial roads to them, to make sure people are aware of the requirement that everyone in New Zealand need to stay at their current place of residence while the Level 4 restrictions are in place.”

Police will also be deploying checkpoints at a number of locations, in collaboration with local authorities and Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups.

“Our primary focus will be on reminding people if you don’t have to travel, then please don’t,” said Coster.

“It’s simple – travelling to and from different towns and cities risks spreading Covid-19 and puts lives at risk. Travelling to the bach for a holiday is not essential travel and it is not permitted.

Police will be ramping up visibility in communities and on the roads including operating checkpoints over the Easter period.

“Police’s first step will be to educate but if people continue to break the rules, police will use their discretion to warn people, or if necessary, they could be arrested.

“We’re asking everyone to play their part this Easter, stick to the rules and stay home within their bubble – and keep themselves and their communities safe.”

FEAST ON FEIJOAS TO KEEP YOUR IMMUNITY LEVELS UP Feijoas are coming into season at just the right time as Kiwis search for new ways to boost their immunity and overall health.

This year’s feijoa crop will peak in April and remain in plentiful supply until the end of June. Consuming two feijoas provides 64 per cent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C and Feijoa Association Director, Julia Third says they are a useful – and tasty snack to have on hand at this time of year.

“Feijoas are really high in vitamin C. With the flu season coming up, it’s more important than ever to consume plenty of fresh fruit to boost our immune systems and fight off any coughs, colds or bugs,” she says.

Feijoas are a source of fibre which helps you feel fuller for longer and is important for digestive health.

Breakfast is an ideal time to include

feijoas in your diet. Scoop out the flesh and enjoy them with a dollop of yoghurt or add some to your cereal or warm bowl of porridge. Feijoa smoothies are also delicious and can be made with either milk or coconut water for a non-dairy option.

Other popular serving ideas include making feijoa chutney, muffins or simply eating them straight off the tree.

“Generations of New Zealanders have grown up eating as many feijoas as they can handle from the tree in their back garden. The flavour is truly unique so make sure you enjoy them while they’re in season this year.”

Third says this year’s crop is approximately 20 per cent higher than last year’s volume, with around 1500

You should keep up your 5+ servings of fruit and vegetables during lockdown. Photo 5+ a day tonnes expected to be harvested this season.

“Feijoas are successfully grown in many parts of the country including Nelson/ Tasman, Gisborne, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Auckland and in the Far North.

This year’s drought has provided an extra challenge but for orchards with irrigation the fruit size will be on par with previous years.”

EASTER ART GALLERY NOW ONLINE Stations of the Cross Easter Art Exhibition has been running at the Depot in Lloyd Elmore Park since Easter 2007 with around 30 artists exhibiting annually with hundreds of art lovers enjoying their work. With so many events cancelling during Alert Level-4, organisers asked the question: can we take our art online? Artists have responded with a “Yes”!

The 2020 Pathways exhibition is taking place online in 2020 as local artists embrace the challenge and opportunity of Easter Art for the lockdown. Cession Community Trust chair Pastor Brett Jones explained, “We have never needed creativity and community more than we do in this season. Art has always been a force for connectedness, so why not embrace the moment and allow our art to speak directly into our bubbles?”

Event organiser Katie Buckley has been working with artists to move the gallery online. It has added some fresh opportunities.

“Embracing the online environment will open up the opportunity to hear from the artist more directly. We’re interviewing artists so that we get to engage with the art and the artist. It’s about asking how art can help us thrive and not just survive life in our bubbles,” says Katie.

The Exhibition will be hosted on the cession|community website www. cession.org.nz as well as the event Facebook page https://www.facebook. com/pg/CessionCommunity/events The Gallery will open on Good Friday, April 10. This is Katie’s first year as exhibition project manager which she sees as an extension of her storytelling through art.

“After participating back in 2013 I ick The artwork Cockerel Sunset by How the cting depi d, mon Ham Ruth resident denial of Jesus by Peter.

found myself wondering if I had more stories to tell and how I might use my voice. I developed a great passion for documentary photography and love telling meaningful stories by capturing personalities and relationships that will be treasured for generations,” says Katie.

“Now we’re part of a shared story that we’re living across the globe. Easter will be experienced through a different lens.”

Cession Community Trust continues to be grateful for the support offered by Creative Communities, Lotteries Community and Howick Local Board.

All enquires may be emailed to the Gallery curator stations.cession@gmail.com

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS QUICK PUZZLE NO. 10008 - SOLUTIONS Across - 1, Prospect. 6, Love. 8, Take.

9, Horrible. 10, Study. 11, Caesar. 13, Barrel.

15, Astute. 17, Stream. 19, Foray. 22, Hardened.

23, Gibe. 24, Stew. 25, Overture.

Down - 2, React. 3, Slender. 4, Echo. 5, Turncoat.

6, Loire. 7, Valiant. 12, Flamingo. 14, Attract.

16, Thought. 18, Endow. 20, Amber. 21, Idle.

CRYPTIC PUZZLE NO. 10008 - SOLUTIONS Across - 1,But-tress. 6, Rea-L. 8, Fa-i-r (rev.).

9, Lady-bird. 10, Peril(Ed) (anag.). 11, Wind-ow.

13, Char-ge(ts) . 15, Ticked. 17, A-board.

19, Catch. 22, Star-fish. 23, Ex-am. 24, Stun (rev.). 25, Gin rum-my.

Down - 2, Us-AG-e. 3, T-err-ier. 4, E-lla (rev.).

5, Side with (anag.). 6, Robin(g). 7, Air-hole.

12, Seed-L-ing. 14, H-ab-itat. 16, Chat-eau.

18, A-pro-n. 20, Charm. 21, Shun.

Puzzle Page Cryptic Puzzle ACROSS

Sudoku

NO. 002

1. S trengthen and save the hair (8).

6. Were changing the pound into Spanish money, but it’s no longer valid (4).

8. Back in the Air Force, I would be fine (4).

9. A hen in the garden? (8).

10. “ Without Ed,” replied, :could be a danger” (5). hat you said when the draught 11. W blew through it? (6).

13. F or the fish, gets half the price (6).

15. H aving been checked, was going (6). n a piece of wood (6).

17. O 19. S ee doing it and dismiss (5).

22. W ould one play the sheriff in the underwater drama? (8).

23. N ow pro the test? (4). racked back, which does amaze 24. C one (4).

25. H aving two drinks before my game (3,5).

DOWN

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

NO. 10008

2. I t’s the custom to utilise silver as a filling (5).

3. Are mistaken; the row outside is made by a dog (7).

4. She goes the whole way back (4).

5. Hits wide, foolishly, you agree (4,4).

6. He hasn’t finished dressing (5).

7. A breathing space? (7).

12. P icking out the best fifty in it - with growth potential (8).

14. T he sailor that I turned out of the home... (7).

16. . ..in France: Catwater Castle (7).

18. F or an outside, protective cover (5).

20. P ersonal appeal you’re lucky to possess? (5).

21. A void slurring your speech when you say “warmth” (4).

8

9

10

11 12

13

15

14

17

16

19

18

20

21 23

22

25

24

Quick Puzzle ACROSS

1.

6.

8.

9.

10.

11.

13.

15.

17.

19.

22.

23.

24.

25.

Outlook (8) Adore (4) Seize (4) Dreadful (8) Room (5) Roman emperor (6) Cask (6) Shrewed (6) Brook (6) Raid (5) Callous (8) Taunt (4) Meat dish (4) Prelude (8)

NO. 10008

DOWN

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

12.

14.

16.

18.

20.

21.

Oppose (5) Slim (7) Resound (4) Defector (8) River (France) (5) Brave (7) Bird (8) Draw (7) Idea (7) Present (5) Colour (5) Indolent (4)

EAST AUCKLAND APP AL L TH AT ’S NE AR , IS HE RE !

Search ‘East Auckland’ in your app store

News, services, events, trades, food and entertainment, amenities, even the closest public toilet!

East Auckland

All you need from your community in one place

LOCKDOWN IN PICTURES Veteran Times photographer WAYNE MARTIN has been capturing images in our area during lockdown, now into its third week. Since some of these were taken, lockdown rules have become more stringent. Happy Easter. Stay home. Stay safe.

SEAFOOD PAELLA Provided by Sarah Searancke Catering and Seafood New Zealand, this Kiwi twist on a classic Spanish dish should be enjoyed straight out of the pan.

If you don’t have a paella pan any shallow wide pan will substitute.

Serves six, takes 60 mins

INGREDIENTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Pinch of saffron 1/2 cup white wine 2 cups fresh chicken stock 1/4 cup olive oil 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely sliced 100g chicken thigh, skinned, boned and cut into 2cm dice 100g chorizo sausage, thinly sliced 60g red capsicum, thinly sliced 60g green capsicum, thinly sliced 100g white medium grain rice 100g fresh tomato, chopped 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tbspn olive oil, for seafood 100g prawn cutlets, de-vained 100g squid, cut into rings 100g shrimps 2 tbspn white wine 12 mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped 2 fresh lemons, cut into wedges sea salt and cracked pepper for seasoning

METHOD Put the saffron and 1st measure of wine in a small saucepan and place over a low heat for 10 minutes. In another pot warm the chicken stock. Put first measure of oil in a large based paella pan and place over a medium heat. Add the garlic, chicken, chorizo, red and green capsicum and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add rice to the pan and

MORE RECIPES For more recipes visit www.seafood.co.nz/ recipes/

sauté for 3-4 minutes until the rice starts to go clear.

salt and pepper and put to one side in a warm place.

Heat a pan with a tight fitting lid over a high heat and then add the cleaned mussels and 2nd measure of wine. Cover with a lid and steam for 5-6 minutes until muscle shells just start to open. Drain the mussels in a colander and reserve the cooking liquor. Add the liquor to the rice.

Any mussels that haven’t opened should be discarded and the remainder set aside in a warm place.

Add the saffron infused wine, tomato, smoked paprika and cumin to pan and cook for a further 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Pour chicken stock over the rice and lower the heat. Stir occasionally and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the stock.

When the paella rice has absorbed all the stock you should continue cooking for a little while so the rice develops a slight crust on the bottom of the pan (do not allow to burn!). Gently stir through the cooked prawns, squid, shrimps and the chopped parsley.

Place another pan over a high heat and add the 2nd measure of oil. Add the prawns and squid and sauté. Season with

Garnish the pan with the mussels and lemon wedges and serve in the centre of the table.

BUBBLE Boredom Beaters O P A H IT W S E M O H S U IO N O M HAR Making beautiful music together is not just a great way to spend quality time with family, it can also help beat those blues (in more ways than one).

With a new episode beginning every Monday morning, this new series also features activities from drawing to making our own instruments at home.

For this reason, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO) has come up with quite the arrangement, a series of online videos (APO Make and Do) designed to teach little ones about a wide variety of instruments and how they can work together to inspire us all.

What’s more, older musicians can join in on the fun, thanks to APO’s Virtual Play Ins through which they can join some of the country’s most skilled musicians as part of a mass online orchestra. Even those of us who wouldn’t know an oboe from a bassoon,

Y) AT A D D N (A T H NEIG AT THEM THE MUSEUM Auckland Museum has put the brakes on boredom – the team has just launched Auckland Museum at Home, an online hub filled with stories, activities, videos and puzzles for the whole family and it’s free!

personnel, there is a broad range of stories which reflect the museum’s past, current and future work.

Children can explore 3D models from the museum’s collection, take an interactive quiz See exciting content Photo by USGS on about marine life, see designed to educate, Unsplash inside a whale, or explore stimulate and entertain all life in the ocean. A series of audiences from school children animated short films will transport and teachers, to those wanting to viewers back in time to stories from deep-dive into our Anzac history when the HMB Endeavour arrived in – e.g stories contributed to Online Aotearoa in 1769.

Cenotaph provide an account of New Zealand’s history and involvement in But there’s loads more, including a two world wars and later conflicts. series of video playlists about the activities of museum staff. Whether Watch how volcanoes are made, make exploring the story behind the return an exotic bird case come alive in a of a prized war medal to Aotearoa puzzle or see some never seen before or discovering an endangered bird, photos of Sir Edmund Hillary and his the deep-dives playlist gives in-depth expeditions. knowledge on many topics.

From collection objects, stories and ➤ There’s loads of fun to be had at quirky facts – did you know that the Auckland Museum at Home page ancestors of whales once had legs or and keep going back to see what’s that during the First World War Anzac new at www.aucklandmuseum.com/ soldiers turned jam tins into bombs your-museum/at-home – to behind the scenes with museum

much less play one, Photo by Samuel Sianipar are still on Unsplash welcome to sit back and enjoy some of the orchestra’s finest recorded performances. ➤ For more information visit apo. co.nz and facebook.com/aporchestra.

BUILD A CARDBOARD CASTLE OR ROBOT Any young carpenters in the house?

Perhaps now’s the time to test their build skills for an hour or two.

Bring out any old cardboard boxes stored in the shed or garage and have youngsters build a cardboard castle, fort or robot – the bigger the better. If you run short of large boxes, use shoeboxes for castle turrets or robot arms. Pak ’n Save shoppers may be able to score a few extra cartons when doing an essential shop.

Kids s d a e R NEE NAW GOES BANANAS

COMPOSTING

for kids Now’s the time to foster little green fingers in the hope they will catch the gardening bug. One way to start is by teaching them about composting. With more and more emphasis on recycling and reducing waste, a composting activity will help the household and the planet.

First discuss what happens to garbage and waste which isn’t composted; then get them thinking about the benefits of composting. Next, help children make their own composting bin.

Start with a one metre high x one metre wide (approx) rubbish bin. Drill 20 to 30 large holes in the lid, in the bottom and the sides so air can enter and excess water can drain out The idea is to keep layering so, encourage children to gather dead plant material such as twigs, dry leaves and small sticks and place in the bin.

Next add household waste, including vegetable scraps, rotting fruit, used tea bags, coffee grounds, egg shells and shredded newspaper. DO NOT use meat, fat, dairy products or pet waste which smell bad, can attract rats and harbour disease.

Add grass clipping and/or a layer of soil so earthworms and micro-organisms will enter the compost – these are necessary to break down the other materials.

Remember to add water now and then to help the rotting process. Stir the container weekly with a shovel or large stick but because compost can be heavy, an adult may need to help little ones.

It can take three to six months before the compost is ready – it shouldn’t smell of decay or rot. However, if youngsters have been regularly adding layers of waste, the formed compost will be at the bottom of the heap, and will have to be dug out. Then use the upper layers to start all over again.

He may only be a little fire engine but Nee Naw has no trouble in finding himself involved in some big adventures. The latest addition to a popular series, Nee Naw Goes Bananas sees this plucky truck and his crew dealing with a bunch of mischievous monkeys. Can they find a way through such monkey business?

Deano Yipadee & Paul Beavis (illustrator): Nee Naw Goes Bananas | RRP $19.99 | Scholastic

ROW, KIWI, ROW YOUR BOAT Complete with a downloadable Kiwi take on a classic song (sung by Pio Terei), this book will appeal to little ones while also advising them of the importance of making good friends.

Lynette Evans & Stevie Mahardhika (illustrator): Row, Kiwi, Row Your Boat | RRP $14.99 | Scholastic

THE LENGTH OF A STRING A search for her birth parents leads Imani on a journey leading to Holocaust-era Europe in this award-winning novel suited to readers aged 10 and up. Told both from the perspective of Imani and her great-grandmother (Anna), this book doesn’t just recount Anna’s escape from the Nazis but also explores how traumatic events in history connect to the present day.

Wlissa Brent Weissman: The Length of a String | RRP $35| Dial

COLOUR THERAPY Forget lockdown blues – now’s the time to clear out the wardrobe ahead of winter and plan for colour therapy which looks on the bright side of things.

First up, think pretty in pink – candy hues to rich magenta – from Witchery; they’ll keep you looking and feeling sweet.

Flaunting bell sleeves and a tie waist detail, the high neck mini dress in bubblegum pink heralds feminine finesse while pairing Witchery’s new season sherbet pink pattered shirt with matching tiered skirt will provide a hint of Bohemian style.

Alternatively, ‘tie’ down the best of pink with wrap-around tie jacket and skirt or opt for the ultra-feminine tie-neck blouse teamed with figure-flattering belted pants.