Kiwis who believe laughter is the best medicine can now gain a degree in the subject, with the country’s first medical clowning qualification to be launched this December. Professional “care clown” Dr Thomas Petschner has brought the qualification to New Zealand through Steinbeis University in Berlin. Those who seek to… Read More »Medical clowning degree to be launched
Local firemen are now able to tackle fires with the help of a smartphone application. By entering a few details about weather conditions at the scene of a fire, the new application will help frontline firefighters know how fast, in what direction and how hotly a fire is burning. “It… Read More »App puts information at firefighters' fingertips
An underground raw milk market is growing in Canterbury as people scramble to get their hands on the controversial product. Carolyn-Rae Searle, a Weston A Price Foundation representative, said the demand for raw milk was rising. However, most suppliers were keeping a low profile because they were not certified. The… Read More »Underground trade in raw milk grows
Christchurch retirement village residents who lost their homes to earthquake damage are still fighting for compensation despite law changes to stop a repeat. Changes to the Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2008 which took effect yesterday mean retirement villages will no longer be able to take a cut when paying… Read More »Retirement village residents still out of pocket
Flimsy fibre-board and glue are often the only things keeping students from a swim in the river at the University of Canterbury’s annual bridge-building competition. Civil engineering student Jaime Clark said the rules required each bridge to hold two people, but no more — it must break when a third… Read More »Civil engineering students bridge the gap
After a three-year absence, Pacific Underground is returning to Christchurch for this month’s Festival of Transitional Architecture (FESTA). The Pacific group formed the backbone of Pacific art, song and dance in Canterbury, and launched the careers of Oscar Kightley, Ladi6 and Scribe on the grassy lawns of the Arts Centre.… Read More »Pacific Underground returns to Christchurch for light festival.
These days there are diggers and piles of twisted metal where Queen Elizabeth II Park used to stand. Weeds sprout from dirt mounds behind cold wire fences. It is a sorry site. Ask anyone in New Brighton or even across wider Christchurch and memories of the place are easy to… Read More »New Brighton struggles to recapture glory days
What do you do when you want to compliment a business on its great service? If you’re University of Canterbury student Hannah Duder, you create an award-winning smartphone app. Duder, a fourth-year Law and Accounting student, won first prize in the University of Canterbury’s annual Entré Apps Challenge, a competition… Read More »Student's phone app food for thought
They provide jet thrills, adventure tours and gondola rides, and they want cruise ship customers back in Lyttelton. High Country Explorer Tours director Rod Bennett leads a group of 38 unhappy tourism operators and activity providers who are calling on the Lyttelton Port of Christchurch (LPC) to speed up repairs… Read More »Unhappy tourism operators call on port
Kiwis – the humankind – are getting the chance to vote on what native bird will take out Forest and Bird’s Bird of the Year contest. The competition, in its sixth year, is run by the conservation group to raise the profile of native birds and the struggles they face.… Read More »Kiwis all a flutter about bird competition
