#NZ Green List

[iclegalnz]

Can I apply for a NZ Green List visa if my occupation is not listed? - Immigration Chambers

Is your occupation missing from New Zealand's Green List? Don’t worry—there are still options to work and live in NZ. Learn about alternative visa pathways, eligibility requirements, and strategic tips to boost your residency prospects even without a Green List occupation.

[immigrationz]

A guide to securing a New Zealand Resident Visa through Greenlist Jobs

Discover the list of countries categorized as safe and low-risk for travel purposes. Stay updated on destinations that meet international safety standards. Explore our Green List compilation and choose your next travel destination securely.

know more: https://tinyurl.com/yc2turk5

[sebengineer101]

CRRC Sifang and PG collaborate on Wuhan Light Valley Suspended Monorail - PriestmanGoode

The Green party looks at Maglev trains connecting the Auckland suburban rail network to Pukekohe and Whangarei.

[immigrationnz]

New Zealand is a dynamic country that welcomes immigrants from all over the world. The country's economy is expansive, with diverse industries that offer numerous employment opportunities to prospective immigrants. Presently, the New Zealand government has a list of skills designated as 'in demand,' known as the Green List. Jobs in the Green List are available to immigrants, and a secure path can lead to a resident visa, opening doors to long-term residency in New Zealand.

For More Information Visit : https://nzimmigration.info/residence-visa/

[madhatterbri]

Thanksgiving Deception | Demon F.B.

Summary: Balor convinces Grace she isn't getting presents for Christmas.

Author's Note: I called the Demon Balor in this.

Happy Monday Night RAW, babes. ❤️

Finn Balor Masterlist

WWE Masterlist

Taglist: @theworldofotps @smallestsnarkestgirl @terrortwinunicorn @magicalbuttertarts @miss-kuki-nz

As always, requests are open! Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist. ❤️

Balor sat in his dark room, annoyed. Despite it being the day before Thanksgiving, he didn't have much to be thankful for. With his arms crossed over his chest, he thought about the people who made his life a living nightmare.

He was stuck on Earth after his human side, Finn, decided to fall in love with a human woman. The woman, Y/N, was insufferable. A basic female who lacked any cooking skills and talked nonstop. She wasn't the worst, though. Oh no. There was a greater evil. A smaller yet mightier evil.

"Mommy!" Grace called out. Balor grimaced at the sound of the child's high pitched voice. "Can I watch Bluey?"

See what he meant? Pure evil.

"Of course you may, Grace. I am going to take these clothes to the washer and get our clothes from the drier. Be good for Balor, okay?"

His blood boiled after the woman left that monster with him again. Grace was a snotty little know it all. Even when she was wrong, she would run to cry to her parents. Her doting parents always sided with her.

Balor, why did you tell her that the stork dropped her off at the wrong house.

No, Balor, you can't wash her in this washing machine.

The spoiled child was given anything and everything she wanted. His human side was wrapped around that child's little pinky finger.

The theme song for Bluey could be heard through the whole apartment. She liked to dance and sing to the theme song.

Balor poked his head out of his bedroom door. On his hands and knees, he crawled into the living room. The young girl was seated on the couch. Her arms crossed over her chest. She sighed as if she had the longest day of her life despite being off for Thanksgiving week. Kindergarten must be taking its toll on her.

The irritated demon stood in front of the television. It was only to get a rise out of her. His plan worked.

"Hey! You are in the way!" She yelled at him. Her tiny body moved from side to side to see the screen. "Move!"

Balor snapped his head to say something mean yet stopped. His eyes gazed at the Christmas tree. The very one that Y/N insisted to put up early. He smiled inwardly.

"Hmph, with that attitude, I can see why you won't be opening presents tomorrow," Balor scoffed. He shrugged and walked away to the kitchen.

Grace's eyes widened in horror. Her mouth dropped as she looked at the tree and then him. "What?"

"Your mom and dad didn't get you any presents. Why do you think there is nothing under the tree?"

"But mommy and daddy always get me presents," she insisted. The small child slid off the couch and walked to the tree. She dropped to her knees and looked for a present. Maybe they were just so small that she couldn't see.

"Not this year, I guess. Pity," he told her.

"But I get straight E's in school," Grace defended. Her face started to flush. Tears started to fill at the bottom of her eyes.

"Remember when mommy and daddy had to go to school because the teacher said you talk too much and your mean to the others?" Balor asked gently.

"But I tried to do better. My name is always on the green light now. Every Friday, I get a toy from the treasure chest. I really did," she whimpered. Grace frowned as she stared at the empty space under the tree. "I'm a good girl,"

"Well, I guess your teacher didn't think you were good enough this year. She must have told Santa to keep you on the naughty list. Your mommy and daddy have to obey Santa, or he kidnaps them and turns them into candy canes," he told her. Balor poured himself a drink. "Only good girls get presents,"

That was the opening of the flood gates to her tears. Her small body shook as tears rolled down her cheeks. The distraught child stood up and laid on the couch. Her face buried in her arms as she sobbed.

Before Y/N came back, Balor crawled back to his room. He was in for it, but this was worth it.

Y/N opened the front door. She stopped when she saw Grace crying.

"Oh no, what's wrong, sweetheart?" Y/N asked. She placed the laundry basket on the coffee table. "Did you get a boo boo? Can mommy see?"

Y/N dropped to her knee. She rubbed Grace's back as the child sobbed. A few moments later, Grace sat up.

"I'm a good girl, mommy," Grace insisted. Snot ran down her nose. The worried mother grabbed a tissue and wiped her face.

"I know. You are mommy and daddy's good girl. What's wrong?"

"You didn't get me presents for Christmas," she whimpered and pointed to the tree. More hot tears fell down her face.

"Sweetheart, tomorrow isn't Christmas," Y/N pointed out. The tears started to lessen.

"It's not?"

"No, baby. The Elf hasn't even come yet. Remember the elf? He would do lots of bad things when we woke up every morning?"

"Waffles?"

"Yes, Waffles the elf,"

There was a pause before Grace finally remembered. Feeling ashamed, she sheepishly hugged her mother. Ever the instigator, Grace wasn't done yet. She went to the hallway and shouted towards Balor's room.

"I am a good girl!"

[whosname]

[Id. Two screenshots of the prize task on Taskmaster New Zealand where Tom Sainsbury presents the ingredients of his homemade kombucha: a fluorescent green liquid in a jar with a list of ingredients: gilt (39%), shame (27%), narcissism (21%), people pleasing (13%). May contain traces of imposter syndrome. Tom explains "So that's what, you know, you just have a sip of that and you're away. Very neurotically." End Id.]

Taskmaster NZ is beautiful.

[proton-wobbler]

Great Backyard Bird Off - Schedule & Info

Round One Schedule

Cosmopolitan - posted February 1st & 2nd - 14 polls

Europe - posted February 11th - 9 polls

Africa - posted February 20th - 9 polls

Australia - posted March 1st & 2nd - 20 polls

New Zealand - posted March 11th - 7 polls

Asia - posted March 20th & 21st - 14 polls

the Americas - posted March 29th & 30th - 16 polls

Eurasia - posted April 8th & 9th - 14 polls

Poll Info

There are 8 brackets, with 208 species featured! Ranges were determined either using the self-report feature added to the submission box or with eBird sightings. "Cosmopolitan" is a bracket involving species of birds which were found on at least three continents, regardless of which they were submitted for. "Eurasia" are birds which seem to appear equally between Europe and Asia (majority of the continent, not just Middle East). "the Americas" includes all of the Americas, with US birds removed- granted, some Canadian or Mexican birds can show up in the US, but they're not common enough backyard birds (imo) to have been disqualified.

Please-- feel free to advocate for whichever bird you vote for! I would love to get some more participation with this tournament, especially since this is a poll with popular bird species.

Polls will be a week long, and are tagged #Great Backyard Bird Off. All subsequent reblogs are tagged as #poll reblog. Be sure to block this tag if you want to avoid me spamming your dash. Any reblogs containing support for a species will be tagged #[species] support. Results will be tagged #poll results.

Bird Support Google Form

vvv Participant List under the Read More vvv

Cosmopolitan (28 species)

Black kite, Black-headed gull, Bohemian waxwing, Canada goose, Common buzzard, C. Chiffchaff, C. Kingfisher, C. Loon, C. Myna, C. Nightingale, C. Swift, Eurasian Collared-dove, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian (Common) Kestrel, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, European bee-eater, European (common) starling, Great crested grebe, Great gray owl, Grey wagtail, Little grebe, Ring-necked pheasant, Red-backed Shrike, Rock Pigeon, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Western barn owl, Western cattle egret, White (pied) wagtail

Europe (18 species)

Tawny Owl, Spotless Starling, Red kite, Middle spotted woodpecker, Great spotted woodpecker, Fieldfare, European Stonechat, E. Robin, E. Herring Gull, E. Goldfinch, Eurasian Green Woodpecker, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Eurasian blackcap, Eurasian (Common) Blackbird, Dunnock, Crested tit, Common wood-pigeon, Eurasian Blue tit

Africa (18 species)

African Harrier-hawk, Bearded barbet, Blacksmith lapwing, Bokmakierie, Cape starling, Cape white-eye, Dark-capped bulbul, Hadada ibis, House bunting, Klaas' Cuckoo, Kwevoel (Grey go-away-bird), Nile valley sunbird, Purple-crested turaco, Red-winged starling, Southern double-collared sunbird, Southern masked weaver, Spotted eagle-owl, White-backed mousebird

Australia (41 species)

Yellow Wattlebird, Willie-wagtail, White-faced Heron, Welcome Swallow, Weebill, Tawny Frogmouth, Tasmanian Nativehen, Superb Fairywren, Sulfur-crested Cockatoo, Splendid Fairywren, Sooty Owl, Red-browed Firetail, Red wattlebird, Rainbow lorikeet, Peid currawong, Pheasant coucal, Pacific koel, Noisy miner, Masked lapwing, Magpie-lark, Little corella, Lewin's honeyeater, Laughing kookaburra, Grey fantail, Grey butcherbird, Gang Gang cockatoo, Galah, Eastern spinebill, Eastern rosella, Crimson rosella, Crested pigeon, Crescent honeyeater, Bush stone curlew (thick-knee), Brown thornbill, Black swan, Bell miner, Austarlian ringneck, Australian magpie, Australian Ibis (Bin Chicken), Australasian Swamphen (Pukeko)

New Zealand (14 species)

Kaka, Kakaruwai (South Island robin), Karearea (NZ falcon), Kereru, Koekoea (Long-tailed Koel), Korimako (NZ bellbird), Yellowhead, Piwakawaka (NZ Fantail), Riroriro (Grey Gerygone), Satin Bowerbird, Silvereye (Tahou), Titipounamu (Rifleman), Tomtit, Tui

Asia (28 species)

Asian Koel, Azure-winged Magpie, Black-collared Starling, Brown-eared Bulbul, Colombo (House) Crow, Common Hill-myna, Eastern Buzzard, Japanese Robin, Light-vented Bulbul, Mandarin Duck, Masked Laughingthrush, Olive-backed Sunbird, Oriental Magpie-robin, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Palau Fruit dove, Palla's Gull, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Red-billed Blue magpie, Red Junglefowl, Red-whiskered bulbul, Ruppell's Weaver, Southern Hill-myna, Spotted dove, Swinhoe's White-eye, Whistling Green-pigeon, White-rumped munia, White-spectacled bulbul, Yellow bittern

The Americas (33 species)

Austral Thrush, Bananaquit, Blue-and-white Swallow, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Bushy-crested Jay, Canada Jay, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Chimango, Clay-colored Thrush, Common Potoo, Crimson-fronted Parakeet, Eared Dove, Great Kiskadee, Great Thrush, Green-backed Firecrown, Green-headed Tanager, Hoatzin, Lesson's Motmot, Masked Water Tyrant, Pacific Hornero, Pale-breasted Thrush, Plain Parakeet, Red-rumped Cacique, Ruddy Ground Dove, Rufous Hornero, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Russet-naped Wood rail, Sayaca Tanager, Southern House Wren, Southern Lapwing, White Bellbird, White-crested Elaenia

Eurasia (28 Species)

Black Redstart, Blue Rock thrush, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, Eurasian Bittern, Eurasian Jackdaw, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Eurasian Siskin, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Treecreeper, Eurasian Wren, European Greenfinch, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Hawfinch, Hooded Crow, Long-tailed Tit, Mistle Thrush, Northern Lapwing, Rook, Song Thrush, Spanish Sparrow, Yellowhammer

[mariacallous]

The New Zealand government has been accused of waging a “war on nature” after it announced sweeping cuts to climate action projects, while making no significant new investments in environmental protection or climate crisis-related policy.

In its 2024/25 budget, handed down on Thursday, the rightwing coalition announced spending on law and order, education, health and a series of tax cuts, as the country struggles with inflation and cost-of-living pressures.

Finance minister Nicola Willis, who delivered the budget against the backdrop of a technical recession and widening government deficits, said it was a “fiscally responsible budget” that was “putting New Zealanders’ money where it can make the biggest difference”.

But absent from the budget documents was any meaningful new spending on the climate crisis. Instead, dozens of climate-related initiatives, including programmes in the Emissions Reductions Plan and funding for data and evidence specialists were subject to sweeping cuts.

In a media release, climate change minister Simon Watts said “responsible and effective climate related initiatives that support New Zealand to reduce emissions, and adapt to the future effects of climate change are a priority.”

He said the government would invest to reach those goals, including funding climate resilience projects such as stop banks and floodwalls through the Regional Infrastructure Fund, a $200m boost for the Rail Network Improvement Programme, and extending the reach of the Waste Disposal Levy to support a wider range of waste-related and environmental activities.

When asked by the Guardian if there was any significant new funding directed towards tackling climate change and environmental protection, Watts pointed to the resilience projects.

Meanwhile, the environment minister, Penny Simmonds, told the Guardian the increases to the waste levy “will mean a broader range of environmental projects can be funded”, including waste disposal in emergencies, cleaning up contaminated sites and freshwater improvement.

But critics said the government’s approach to protecting the environment and tackling climate change was backward looking, while climate resilience projects were the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff without future-facing climate mitigation plans.

Meanwhile, the rail improvement programme was understood to be focused on existing rail lines. It was unclear if it included new rail projects. Changes to the waste disposal levy involved mostly reallocating existing funds.

The Labour opposition called the budget a “catastrophe” that was “taking us backwards”.

The only new investment in the environment section of the budget was a $23m annual commitment to pushing through the government’s resource management changes, including a controversial fast-track bill that could see conservation concerns ignored and projects once rejected for environmental reasons given the green light.

The government says it has found $102m in savings and revenue per year across the environment sector through various cuts, including cutting climate change programmes, reducing spending on specialists that provide evidence and data including updates to environmental standards, monitoring and reporting and scaling back funding for the Climate Change Commission, which advises the government on climate change policy.

In conservation, another $33m a year will be cut. There is a $1m annual investment listed in the budget documents, but government officials could not explain where this money would go, citing “commercial sensitivities”.

The programmes and areas related to climate policy that are subject to cuts across government included:

Māori knowledge-based approaches to agricultural emissions reduction

Community-based renewable energy schemes

The Climate Change Commission

External and internal specialists who supply evidence and data on environmental monitoring and science

Freshwater policy initiatives

Native forest planting

Development of a circular economy, relating to recycling and reuse

Jobs for Nature, a programme creating jobs to benefit the environment

Reducing biosecurity monitoring

New Zealand is still rebuilding from massive destruction caused by 2023’s deadly Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, which killed 11 people and laid waste to large swathes of the North Island’s east coast.

Among the spending promises in the budget was $1bn to rebuild the regions hit by these disasters.

Human-caused climate breakdown has increased the occurrence of the most intense and destructive tropical cyclones (though the overall number a year has not changed globally). This is because warming oceans provide more energy, producing stronger storms.

‘Head in the coal’

Green party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick described the government as a “coalition of cowards” that was allowing the climate crisis to “rage on unchallenged” and whose attack on the climate would ripple through future generations.

“The other day, government parties said, ‘drill, baby, drill,’ and today, they may as well have said, ‘burn, baby, burn’,” Swarbrick said, adding that the budget had seen funding from almost every major programme in the Emissions Reduction Plan gutted.

The government was “choosing to bury its head in the coal,” she said. “It has made the choice to put cynical politics ahead of people and planet, serving the short-term interests of wealthy donors over the wellbeing of all of us.”

The first budget from the rightwing coalition – made up of the centre-right National party, libertarian ACT party and populist NZ First – is a sharp departure from the previous Labour government’s commitments to protecting the environment. In 2017, Labour prime minister Jacinda Ardern said climate change was her generation’s nuclear-free moment and put climate policies high on her agenda.

In 2022, her government unveiled the most significant announcement on climate change action in the country’s history – $4.5bn for a climate emergency response fund (CERF) to try to drive a low-emissions economy and prepare the country for the effects of climate collapse.

On Thursday, the government said $2.6bn of climate change initiatives previously funded by CERF would continue, including a public network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, decarbonising public transport, and public transport concessions for community service card holders.

But the climate change minister also said the government would discontinue the practice of ring-fencing money raised through emissions trading for that climate fund, meaning the previous government’s ambitious fund would be absorbed into the usual budget process.

Environmental group Forest and Bird said the budget signalled another blow in the government’s “war on nature”, and singled out its funding of the fast track bill.

“The government’s biggest new investment in the environment is to implement reforms that are going to cause untold environmental harm through the fast track,” said Richard Capie, the organisation’s general manager for conservation.

“In the middle of a climate emergency, you don’t walk away from investing in climate action – this isn’t business as usual, and to call it such is head-in-the-sand stuff.”

[historia-vitae-magistras]

Do the baby rats ever return to the bilges? And by that do they spend much time with the old man? Are they free to drop in and make themselves at home?

I think it varies between them and over time.

Alfred drops in a lot. God knows there's hardly a spot in the world he hasn't made himself known but I still couldn't quite believe how many statues and memorials. The eagle squadron, the Eisenhower statue, the Reagan statue, the 9/11 memorial garden. Mark Twain, James McNeil Whistler, Harry Selfridge, FDR, Abraham Lincoln. Like goddamn I'm not sure why I was surprised but whoo. So many statues of Yanks paid for by the British.

Anyway: In the 19th century he'd actually spent time in England indulging his need for the latest technology and satiating whatever advances François or Gilbert wouldn't keep him abreast of. Nowadays, especially since the age of flight, he travels a lot and has no shame in rolling up, insulting the food but savoring the whiskey, crashing wherever he likes and drunkenly asking his father's advice. He's very free in how much space he takes up and how much time he feels entitled too. If he's jet lagged he'll just conk out on the old man's spare room and complain it smells like sheep but very much appreciate a night's sleep in a place he once called home.

Matt... He should be very comfortable in that space but he's a dipshit so imposing feels illegal. He kind of knows he can but he's also not willing to test his luck the vast majority of the time. If he's invited he'll show up on time, clean up after himself and promptly leave without causing a fuss. At least the cat's happy he's back to visit lmao. He got permission to pay for a wee fountain in the green park memorial. There was a gate we bought when Victoria locked it and we were still first dominion (Australia was still in the process of confederating.) But yeah he's welcome? Arthur doesn't mind him around if he's not underfoot. But it really was kind of a sign Jan had no idea what Matt's life was like anymore when he asked him to go stay at his dad's in the aftermath of their break up.

Jack lmao he's shameless when he wants some of the old man's attention. I don't think it's all the time, but there are a lot of links there. I swear to God I met so many Australians in England. I tumbled out of a test pit off a corner off a Hadrian's wall fortlet and there were like 6 Australians in every pub in fricken Yorkshire. He will just kind of show up with a very casual but somehow kind of prickly invitation to go to a cultural event of his artists or bands in England and the old fart isn't objecting. It took Arthur a minute to figure out that "Accadacca" meant they were going to go see AC/DC but he wasn't mad about it! Two manic fucks can have a lot of fun. They party quite hard sometimes. Jack was also very responsible for the old man's cooking improving by a metric and imperial fuck tonne. The espresso machine under the cabinet is his baby.

Zee I think is the easiest. She's as independent as Jack but that not quite dead idea that daughters are kind of allowed to be more in and out of the house makes it slightly easier for them. She rolls up and flops on the sofa demanding to be fed and watered. A full fifth of the NZ population lives overseas with Australia and the UK topping the list and if there's things she can't really do in New Zealand or she just doesn't want to live alone she'll just hop over. I feel like she goes in cycles of how independent and revolutionary she's feeling and will just kind of make herself at home if she wants another degree or something similar. She spent time in London without the old man too especially during the peak punk years and they ran into each other at a sex pistols concert. She had a full set of tattoos, an undercut and half a blunt in her system, Arthur had green hair and absolutely ripped on god knows what. She's never seen him so panicked. They stumbled home together having a hoot and throwing beer bottles at cops. Grade a hooligans, those two.

[ferally-ships]

Whoa, I didn’t know how long you’ve been attracted to Nate Fick! Thought I was pretty alone in having long term HBO crushes, good to know I’m not the only one. Bill Guarnere in BoB is my biggest HBO 6-year crush… Totally my kind of guy, irl and out. Hold onto your comfort character 😊

...Yeah. It's a problem... or solution to depression, I don't know XD It's his fingers and the way they position on his rifle, resting or gripping... or just holding a pen... those long fingers that can do things... It's his puppy-dog green eyes that are always stressed and carrying the weight of the world... It's his nose...his kissable lips that, when he smiles, it's the softest thing ever... The way he swears... I don't like when men swear much but when he does it... Oof it's something happens. Don't even get me started on how he protects. .... I'll stop.

Nope. Guess you and I have been loners for a while. So hi, nice to meet someone who's got long-term HBO crushes!

I have a weird soft spot for Guarnere. He's not my favorite...very low down on the list... Mostly because I see him as a slut XD but he reminds me of a 'family' member.

See, one side of my family is Italian. The other is British. I share equal qualities but will always choose British over Italian. My heart lies in England, and my humor is dry and that of typical British/Australian/NZ humor... But I have heavy-set Italian features... anywho - My family are friends with another group of Italian-background people, who are like an extended family. Me and this particular guy kinda had a forced friendship. Felt obligated to, to keep our grandparents happy. It was a lot of petty sibling rivalry. He'd say shit to me... But the minute someone else said the same things he would, similar or worse - he came tearing across from the other side of the room and placed himself in front of me, going face-to-face with the other person. There was a soft side to this guy. And it came out occasionally when we weren't bickering over extremely stupid stuff. TL;DR his protectiveness reminds me of Guarnere. I see Guarnere a lot like that. But that's probably also my little HC too. I don't know. I feel like I'm talking to much instead of just replying to your original ask of 'OMG SAME!'

[iclegalnz]

Fast-Track Residency for Secondary Teachers Moving to New Zealand | Immigration Chambers - Advice Solutions Results

Secondary teachers planning to relocate to New Zealand? Immigrate to New Zealand as a Secondary Teacher as Streamlined Straight to Residency Paths available. Discover accelerated residency solutions with best immigration lawyer in NZ at your service.  Learn about pathways designed for secondary teachers relocating to NZ.

[immigrationz]

Green List Occupations and Eligibility Criteria: Green List Visa in New Zealand

Joining hands with Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. will provide you with exposure to the Green List New Zealand jobs. These job profiles will take you to the pathway that leads to residence. The team of experienced professionals is there to confirm your eligibility criteria for such golden jobs.

know more: https://nzimmigration.info/work-visa/green-list/

[charlesandmartine]

An Epilogue for Australia 2023

I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and flooding rains.

I love her far horizons,

I love her jewel-sea,

Her beauty and her terror

The wide brown land for me!

An excerpt from:

My Country

By Dorothea Mackellar

We made all the arrangements for this trip last summer which seems ages ago now and it troubled us whether we had packed enough into the itinerary, if we were really just repeating too much, and if the destinations were to be interesting enough. We ought not to have worried because none of that was so. It turned out that the balance was almost perfect. Lovely to see Jill again and stay in her amazing apartment in Balgowlah which we like enormously. The cruise to NZ was really enjoyable, seeing both the south Island where we haven't been before and revisiting the north Island, especially Napier. We were particularly pleased to visit Christchurch which we loved and the Sounds were stunning. We felt so fortunate that we completed this cruise when we did because soon after Cyclone Gabrielle came across flooding areas in the north and of course our condolences go out to those people.

The second part of the trip I think changed the way we view this wonderful country, that is our journey to woop woop, pronounced wup wup ie the middle of nowhere and beyond. We broke ourselves in gently before getting to the outback by first calling into some amazing beaches and then heading due west. The outback is a different Australia entirely; the accent is different, harder, broader. Some live in such remote places that there's no apparent reason for the place to be there at all. The couple who ran the cattle station could, with binoculars, see their neighbours. The girl in the bottle shop in Roma dreamed of the day she might go to Bondi Beach! Outbackers do not go to cities which are most likely unaffordable, and city dwellers don't go to the outback apart perhaps from Uluru, called Ayers Rock in pre decimal days. There are at least three levels of society in this amazing country, City, Outback and First Nation. We absolutely loved the outback; we loved the simplicity, the isolation, the one street, the bar where it goes quiet when you walk in, the friendliness, the pleasure they get when outsiders visit their town, the nothingness, the 'I went to Brisbane once, I didn't like it ' comment, the 'if we need to go shopping we drive 2 hours to Charleville', the big huge skies, the massive sunsets, the red dirt, the space, the long long straight empty roads, drive for 280km and not see a single building, community that appears to actually work, we loved it all that's all nearly 5000kms of it in Mr Avis's SUV.

We learned stuff. Staying on the cattle station we saw how hard life could be with not enough help, the danger of moving heavy cattle around, the changing climate, the financial loss that results from drought, the difference rain can make, the condition of the grass therefore life for the cattle or not. Having witnessed the cows being sent to market was a salutary moment for a meat eater versus vegetarian or at least non beefeater.

The rains had returned to the east of Australia with the red dirt turning green. This meant more food for animals such as kangaroos which meant they were not so evident in human occupied land. They talk of El Nino and the effects it has on the climate, La Nina is it's opposite number and it would appear there's a transition. We saw the vast coal mining operations in Newcastle and Blackwater and are both disturbed by this but also understand the economic arguments that allow it's continuance.

We learned more about Australian dinosaurs, crocodiles and how to kill one if necessary, cattle handling obviously, Australian politics and how similar they are to ours, societal problems like interest rate levels, inflation, long hospital waiting lists for hip replacements, shortage of doctors, superannuation, staff shortages in general, mortgage rates, high cost of energy, shortages, scrutiny over COVID handling, proposed Submarine purchases from AUKUS and the list goes on and on and we rub our eyes to see if we are at home or abroad!

The outback is such a fascinating place of great extremes. It breeds a tough and resilient kind of person constantly battling against an environment that views humans as an itch that needs to be scratched, a boil that needs lancing and moreover eradicated. Nature wiped out the dinosaurs of Winton millions of years ago and it does its best now to get rid of their modern day replacements. It does this by seven years of immense drought followed by fire terrifyingly tearing across the tinder dry land and scrub killing and destroying anything in its path. Then come the rains with such intensity the waters rebound, fill the creeks and the vast floodplains drowning animals small and large that inevitably get caught up in it. And then comes the cyclone that blows away structures and trees that dare to challenge it. Nevertheless the communities are tough and stubborn and rebuild because this is a great land. If you want precious stones mounted in precious metals, it is to be found here. If it can be eaten, drunk or cooked with, it is here. If it is needed to generate heat or power then it can be found here. If it is a rare mineral and it is to be found in the periodic table, it can most likely be found in Australia somewhere. If you want to make batteries for new generation electric vehicles, the lithium can be found there. If you want to increase your chances of being bitten, poisoned or eaten to death then Australia has it in droves. It is not the home of Shakespeare; no play contains the words G'day Mate, or own any work entitled Two Gentlemen from Woop Woop, but they try. They are both a young country with no history beyond 200 years and yet they have the combined history's of its many nationalities. They also have the fascinating and hidden history of the indigenous peoples going back 60,000 years! They have European Art which is developing more now into something of their own. More encouraging is that indigenous works are beginning to be appreciated now as works of art in their own right and not as they previously were merely as objects of interest.

This is a marvellous country unsurpassed anywhere else on the globe and deserves to be explored and appreciated for the incredible experiences it so readily offers

Perhaps one of the last images we will recall might be at Sydney Airport:

'Repack or pay' screamed the fierce looking Australian woman behind the Malaysia Airlines check-in desk at the overweight Indian family presenting equally overweight luggage. She could do well in a banshee yelling competition. They were escorted to a quiet spot where silver changed hands.

We have so enjoyed our time here with the variety of things we have done. We went to the SOH three times on this trip and were blown away by each performance, each different from the previous in different ways. We took a very fond look back at Sydney Harbour as we walked away from it last night, the place we really love and of course Manly, not wanting to leave it, but it's au revoir not goodbye, we are simply going to be absent for a while and we shall be back.

[captious-solarian]

I far prefer the JetPunk quiz to Sporcle's.

Why Jetpunk is better IMO:

Countries are shown in a light yellow when unguessed, darker green when guessed; no question marks that block you from actually seeing the borders.

They're filled in instantly; no distracting animation.

Arrows and circles to show small nations, rather than insets that force you to look in both places.

You can click to zoom.

Much more consistent about abbreviations. Why does Sporcle accept "png" but not "nz", or "st vincent" but not "antigua"? It's a mystery.

There's an alphabetised list at the end to easily see what you already guessed. You can use it for additional help since it gives you an idea of where missing countries are in the alphabet, or choose not to scroll down to it if you want more challenge.

Shows your score percentile.

Data-wise, there's one difference: Sporcle uses a complicated definition of what counts as a country (using mainly UN status and recognition by other countries, but Taiwan is an exception), whereas JetPunk uses territorial control in practice. As a result, Sporcle includes Palestine (total 197 countries), and JetPunk excludes it (total 196 countries). So if you're really set on having your online quizzes acknowledge Palestine then that's a reason to prefer Sporcle; also if you already have an account on Sporcle tracking your scores.

actually inspired by recent geography posting lets see where we're all at. go here & complete the quiz to the best of your ability, no cheating:

[icl-immigration]

Updates to the NZ Post Study Work Visa (PSWV)

Updates to the NZ Post Study Work Visa (PSWV)

Post Study Work Visa Update - Changes to Eligibility for Master's Degree Following a Postgraduate Diploma From November 19, 2024 - Students who complete a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) for at least 30 weeks and then move directly to a Master’s degree are now eligible for a Post Study Work Visa (PSWV), even if their Master’s program was shorter than 30 weeks. This change provides students more flexibility in their study plans while ensuring they remain eligible to work after their qualification. Students who complete a PSWV-eligible qualification, followed by a higher-level qualification that doesn’t meet PSWV requirements (such as not meeting the minimum study duration), will have up to 12 months from the end date of their student visa for the initial qualification to apply for a PSWV. For those seeking a three-year Post-study Work Visa, at least 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand is required as part of the Master’s degree itself. Applicants must meet the minimum full-time study requirements and apply within the set timeframe to qualify. Updates to Qualifications Eligible for PSWV Adjustments have been made to align PSWV-eligible qualifications with the Green List. Key changes include: Secondary School Teachers: Applicants no longer need a Bachelor’s degree specialising in Science, Mathematics, Technology, or Pacific Languages if they meet other teaching qualifications. Primary and Intermediate Teachers: Graduates with relevant diplomas who meet the Teaching Council’s registration criteria can now qualify for a PSWV. Mechanical Engineering Technicians: The New Zealand Diploma in Engineering (Level 6) with a specialisation in Mechanical Engineering has been added, making graduates eligible for a PSWV. These updates aim to enhance opportunities for graduates in key industries and teaching roles. Reference https://www.immigration.govt.nz/ About ICL Immigration ICL Immigration, based in Auckland, is an established licensed immigration adviser , Immigration Consultant and NZ International Student Education Consultant with over 20 years of experience. We've helped over 1,000 immigrants realise their New Zealand settlement dreams. We specialise in a broad spectrum of visa services, including NZ visitor Visa, student, residency, work visas, and business-related services like employer accreditation. Read the full article

[terraencounters-blog-blog]

Cruising Catlins: Discover New Zealand's Best-Kept Secret

Do you want to see hidden gems? The Catlins Region of NZ is all about turquoise coastlines, rolling green hills and grazing white sheep. This is Quintessential NZ. @PureNewZealand #newzealand #nz #travelnz #NZMustDo #travel #photography #nature #roadtrip

Why Catlins Must Be on Your Bucket List! The Nuggets, Nugget Point, Catlins Do you want to see hidden gems? Do you want to enjoy a more relaxed trip with less hassles about finding accommodation? The Catlins Region of NZ is all about turquoise coastlines, rolling green hills and grazing white sheep. This is Quintessential NZ. The Catlins Region post is part two of an off-the-beaten-track…