The 2023 Advance Space Camp – Expedition 49 opens in August and the cohort of 16 rangatahi are thrilled for the opportunity, organised by local charity Community Builders NZ Trust (CBNZ) through the Ōtara Youth Hub.
“These guys are really excited. They turn up to every hui we need to have, and their whānau are backing them. We’re super proud of them coming from 274 to Nasa. It’s a huge accomplishment,” says CBNZ chief executive Terangi Parima.
The cadets will engage in all areas of STEM over in a seven-day camp sharing dorms, eating, and socialising with other young people from around the globe.
Daily sessions will be interactive, promoting STEM learning as well as team building, leadership, problem-solving and confidence. Trainees experience a variety of astronaut training exercises, engineering challenges and team-building activities all culminating in an extended-duration simulated space mission.
After the expedition, the group has three days to explore Alabama before returning home to Aotearoa with a kete full of knowledge to steer them into the next step of their STEM journey.
Tangaroa College student Danielle Tupuanai Viliamu, 16, has her trip sponsored by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples. Proud of her heritage, she says if she could travel to space and place one item on the moon, it would be her Samoan flag.
“In school we haven’t learned much about space so I’m really excited to see the physics and science about rocket ship operations and the biology of space. I haven’t decided on a future career yet so I’m hoping this will help to expand my mind and find my career path
Benjamin Goldsmark, 15, is of Niuean, Samoan and Māori descent. He attends Green Bay Highs Shool in west Auckland, but spends his weekends in Ōtara with his dad, step-mum and younger brother.
He has always been a major sci-fi fan: “It’s my dream to work with Nasa. I’d love to build rockets that could go out further into the galaxy to explore and learn more about space.”
Ben is one of three cadets sponsored with $1000 each from Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi.
His dad Lewis and step-mum Deborah saw the call out for cadets and after a meeting with his mum, submitted an application knowing he would be stoked with the opportunity.
Their families have been in Ōtara for generations and Deborah is a passionate community advocate.
“For us this is a dream come true. To have this opportunity, something that could have been considered a pipe dream, is just overwhelming. We’ve got a whole bunch of rangatahi, the largest cohort in New Zealand,” says Deborah.
She says their whānau is privileged for the opportunity that will develop future engineers, scientists and mathemeticians from Ōtara.
“We’re not just at the bottom and considered a deprived community. We are a community that is thriving.”
Environmental engineer Nadeen Papali’i was a mathematics teacher at Tangaroa College in 2020 when she put together a group of students for the same expedition, but the Covid-19 pandemic closed international borders.
Forced to stay on home soil, the cohort ventured across the country to explore STEM in Te Waipounamu (South Island).
She took the journey herself the year before in 2019 and has now teamed up with CBNZ to support this year’s cohort.
“For Ōtara Youth Hub to pick up the baton, extend the opportunity to more rangatahi across Ōtara, has re-birthed that dream. It’s an opportunity for rangatahi to be exposed to a rich learning context and experience, that provides another way to learn or understand STEM.
“It will engage students into discussions about STEM, not just of what we could do, but whether we should do. It is also an opportunity to take our community with us,” says Papali’i.
Ōtara Youth Hub administrator Nevaeh Tawhi-Marsters, 18, is among the 16 space cadets.
She is running for a spot on the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board in June’s byelection, sparked by the resignation of community advocate Swanie Nelson.
Tawhi-Marsters says she is standing to engage other rangatahi in local politics and give them a say at the decision making table.
Each cadet has been tasked with raising $5000 toward their expedition, half of that amount being the starting rate for entry to the space camp.
Parima is grateful for the support received so far from Spark Foundation, Ministry of Pacific Peoples, and Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi, but more financial aid is needed.
A Givealittle page has been set up to help reach their total goal of $80,000.
She says: “Three are fully sponsored so now we’re looking for support for our other 13 awesome rangatahi. That’s our biggest need at the moment.”
Follow their journey to Nasa: https://www.facebook.com/OYH274
- This report was produced under the Public Interest Journalism initiative, funded by NZ on Air Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/
The Hotel Britomart is delighted to announce it has been recognised by Tripadvisor as a 2023 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best award winner for New Zealand, ranking first out of more than 3000 hotels in New Zealand.
The awards honour travellers' favourite destinations, hotels, restaurants, things to do, and beyond, based on the reviews and opinions collected from travellers and diners around the world on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period. Best of the Best award winners are among the top 1% of listings on Tripadvisor, distinguishing them as travellers’ favourites for 2023.
“We are thrilled to have been named as the #1 hotel in Aotearoa, New Zealand, in the 2023 Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards,” says Clinton Farley, general manager of The Hotel Britomart.
“Our dedicated team at The Hotel Britomart is delighted by this recognition, which reflects our unwavering commitment to establishing a one-of-a-kind hotel brand in the vibrant heart of Britomart, downtown Auckland. As an integral part of the Britomart neighbourhood, known for its restored heritage architecture, leading New Zealand fashion retailers, world-class eateries and business community, The Hotel Britomart goes beyond the conventional concept of a hotel and embodies a vibrant community where guests can immerse themselves in next-level five-star sustainable experiences that are distinct to New Zealand. This accolade confirms that our efforts to create unique and exceptional experiences for our guests are being enthusiastically received, and further strengthens our commitment to delivering true New Zealand hospitality at its best.”
“Congratulations to the 2023 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best winners,” said John Boris, Chief Marketing Officer at Tripadvisor. “The travel resurgence we’ve seen throughout the past year has even further heightened the competition. Ranking among the Best of the Best demonstrates that you have provided exemplary experiences to those who matter most: your guests. With changing expectations, continued labour shortages, and rising costs, this is no easy feat, and I am continually impressed with the hospitality industry’s resilience and ability to adapt. Cheers to another successful year!”
Learn more about The Hotel Britomart and see all the hotel’s reviews here: https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Hotel_Review-g255106-d21121760-Reviews-The_Hotel_Britomart-Auckland_Central_North_Island.html
About The Hotel Britomart
Smart, soulful and contemporary, The Hotel Britomart welcomes guests to the best of downtown waterfront Auckland and is New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star hotel.
The Hotel Britomart offers 99 beautifully serene timber-lined rooms and 5 luxurious Landing suites each with stunning views of the Waitemata Harbour, urban cityscapes or heritage laneways.
The hotel features New Zealand art, natural materials and custom joinery, with a sustainable seafood-focussed restaurant kingi (and private dining room kingi Private) located in the historic laneway on the ground level, open daily serving guests from breakfast until late each evening.
The historic warehouses of the Britomart neighbourhood house some of the country’s best restaurants, bars and cafes, while plant-lined pedestrian streets and laneways are full of incredible shopping. The Hotel Britomart is just a few steps away from Auckland’s beautiful waterfront, the ferry terminal and central business district.
Today, the 14 partners of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) –Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, and Viet Nam – announced the substantial conclusion of the negotiations of a first-of-its-kind international IPEF Supply Chain Agreement at the IPEF Ministerial Meeting in Detroit, Michigan. The proposed Agreement aims to increase the resilience, efficiency, productivity, sustainability, transparency, diversification, security, fairness, and inclusivity of their supply chains through both collaborative activities and individual actions taken by each IPEF partner.
Following the launch of IPEF in Tokyo, Japan on May 23, 2022, and since the release of the IPEF Ministerial Statements on September 9, 2022, the IPEF partners have worked constructively, including through four rounds of in-person negotiations, several virtual intersessional meetings, and numerous bilateral meetings. The IPEF partners will undertake the necessary steps, including further domestic consultations and a legal review, to prepare a final text of the proposed IPEF Supply Chain Agreement. Once finalized, the proposed Agreement will be subject to IPEF partners’ domestic processes for signature, followed by ratification, acceptance, or approval.
The IPEF partners are committed to working towards early realization of the cooperation envisioned under the proposed IPEF Supply Chain Agreement. This includes engaging with businesses and utilizing technical assistance and capacity building to increase investment in critical sectors, key goods, physical and digital infrastructure, transportation, and workforce projects.
Under the proposed IPEF Supply Chain Agreement, the IPEF partners seek to:
In support of these efforts, the proposed IPEF Supply Chain Agreement contemplates the establishment of three new IPEF Supply Chain bodies to facilitate cooperation among the IPEF partners on supply chain issues:
The IPEF partners are committed to operationalizing this landmark Agreement as soon as practicable, including starting preparatory work, to bolster resilient supply chains while recognizing the different economic and geographic characteristics of the partners.
BUREAUS AND OFFICES
Washington DC, Boston and Philadelphia will combine for a major promotion in New Zealand and Australia early August. The East Coast USA roadshow will begin in Auckland on 8 August with a morning media marketplace, followed by a VIP lunch session for trade, tour operators, media and airline representatives. The day will culminate with a full travel agent evening event. All of the functions will be at Four Points by Sheraton Auckland, with Marriott confirmed as one of the key partners in the activity.
Event director for East Coast USA, Corey Marshall of Canuckiwi, says that CEOs from the destinations’ tourism bodies will lead the delegation – Elliott Ferguson (Washington DC), Martha Sheridan (Boston) and Gregg Caren (Philadelphia) – along with members of their teams, operators and other partners. While an East Coast roadshow to ANZ is not new, this is the first time the three cities have collaborated in such a way here.
Theresa Belpulsi, senior VP of tourism for Destination DC says Australia and New Zealand are among the city’s top markets and important as they have a longer length of stay than any other international market. ‘It’s an ideal time to welcome them back, especially with the new direct services to New York. Those open up the entire East Coast so that is a big driver for us to come over. ‘All three cities have a lot of new product and content to share. They are well connected so it is easy to visit them all in one trip.’
Philadelphia is also keen to take a piece of the Big Apple’s antipodean pie as direct capacity increases. ‘Philadelphia is the most important historical city in the US,’ says Robin Bloom, director of content at Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. ‘It’s where the US Declaration of Independence was signed and where the constitution was written.’ Stacy Thornton, director of leisure sales with Meet Boston, says it is appropriate that the three historic and iconic capital cities join forces for the roadshow. ‘We will also be joined by Discover Newport, Rhode Island, which is about an hour to 90 minutes drive from Boston.’ Marshall says the roadshow is about supporting the trade and ensuring agents are educated about what is on offer. ‘The end goal is to fill the planes.’
Source: https://www.travelinc.co.nz/
A very proud day for Ohmio as our first three autonomous electric shuttles arrive at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. Over the next two weeks, we will work with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to demonstrate the capabilities of these future mobility vehicles.
It’s been more than seven years since I joined the Pushpay team, and I am just as inspired by the passion, dedication, and resilience of the churches we serve as I was on the day I started. We’ve grown to serve more than 14,000 customers, and it’s incredible to see the work they do to serve their communities by spreading a message of faith and hope, and bringing people closer together in community—whether in-person or online. They truly make the world a better place, and it’s been an honor to be a part of their journey over the years.
Just like many churches we serve, our organization has evolved over the years in order to grow and serve our community best. Today, I’m privileged to share news about that journey and the next chapter of our growth, which will propel us forward as we continue to support the great work of churches for years to come.
I am pleased to announce that Pushpay was recently acquired, and we are excited to welcome BGH Capital and Sixth Street as our new owners.
Both investors have supported our success for many years, and fully believe in Pushpay’s vision and mission. With a single source of funding and investment from owners that share our values, and who are committed to supporting our long-term growth, our team’s focus has never been more clear—to further empower our current customers, engage future customers, and accelerate product innovation.
This next chapter in Pushpay’s story opens a world of possibilities for our team and the churches we serve—and continues our history of nimble, intentional, dynamic growth as a company. This is an occasion worth celebrating.
Molly Matthews, CEO https://pushpay.com/
Sale price $1.6b approx.
May 4th 2023 saw Groundline Engineering formalise its entry into the US market in a ceremony presided over by New Zealand Trade Commissioner Vicky Whitlock in Washington DC. The move is a natural progression for the global powerline engineering consultancy and with successful operations already in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, the ceremony saw the symbolic presentation of a pounamu Mere to Mr Christian Nolden who has been appointed President of Groundline Engineering (USA). Co-founder and Director Ian Flatley described the presentation as a gift from the founders and owners and recognition of Mr Nolden’s Mana and Authority in this growing market. The consultancy aims to increasingly support USA power networks with specialist powerline expertise and design services. The consultancy adds strength also to existing US partners and distributors in making global HV and LV innovation more accessible in the US. Developed within the Groundline Engineering Group, transformative NDT and timber pole data PHI™ www.thorpoletest.com and specialist wildfire prevention conductor www.coveredconductor.com is to be represented.
The Sofi Awards are presented by the not-for-profit Specialty Food Association (SFA), the leading membership trade association in the $175 billion specialty food industry.
Lewis Road Creamery’s 10 Star Grass Fed butter was blind-tasted alongside other premium and specialty butters to take gold in the dairy category, which covered all domestic and imported butters available in the United States.
The grass-fed, traditionally churned butter is made from cream exclusively off Lewis Road’s parent Southern Pastures’ own farms, which meets stringent and independently-audited 10 Star Certified Values that cover grass-fed, free-range, animal welfare, environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation criteria.
The 10 Star butter is exported and sold in high-end grocery stores including Whole Foods, Erewhon, Bristol Farms, and Central Markets across the USA where it is usually the most expensive butter. Lewis Road’s 10 Star Export butter is also available in Aotearoa New Zealand supermarkets, where it’s sold at a discount to domestic shoppers to reflect and promote its home provenance.
The Sofi winners were selected by a panel of food experts from nearly 2,000 entries across 53 product categories. The butters were judged on taste – including flavor, appearance, texture and aroma – ingredient quality, and innovation. All tastings were anonymous and held at the Rutgers Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University.
“The quality of our grass-fed butter is obvious from its colour,” says Lewis Road Creamery’s Lynette Maan. “It’s a rich golden yellow compared to other paler butter from cows fed on palm-kernel expeller, grains and supplementary feed. But we’re equally proud of the things you can’t see – the climate change mitigation practices we’re committed to on our farms to sequester carbon in soil and contribute to a healthier planet as well as a healthier butter.”
The 10 Star butter is also a finalist in the Sofi awards Product of the Year which will be announced in June.
LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced it has signed a deal to launch NASA’s Starling mission, a multi-CubeSat mission to test and demonstrate autonomous swarm technologies, as well as automated space traffic management for groups of spacecraft in low-Earth orbit.
“Electron has been delivering rapid and reliable access to orbit for NASA since 2018 and we’re delighted to continue that strong heritage with the Starling mission”
The four Starling small satellites have been manifested on an Electron commercial rideshare mission scheduled for lift-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand in Q3 this year. Rocket Lab will deliver the satellites to space within three months of the contract signing.
The Starling mission is designed to test technologies to enable future “swarm” missions. Spacecraft swarms refer to multiple spacecraft autonomously coordinating their activities to achieve certain goals. Starling will explore technologies for in-space network communications, onboard relative navigation between spacecraft, autonomous maneuver planning and execution, and distributed science autonomy.
“Electron has been delivering rapid and reliable access to orbit for NASA since 2018 and we’re delighted to continue that strong heritage with the Starling mission,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck. “Starling has the potential to revolutionize the way science is done in orbit and we’re immensely proud to make that possible.”
NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate manages the Starling project. The program is based at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. Starling joins a growing list of NASA missions launched by Rocket Lab since 2018, including the ELaNa-19 educational CubeSat program, the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon, and two dedicated Electron launches for the NASA TROPICS mission.
Gallagher Group Limited and Gasbot Pty Ltd Sign Exclusive Distribution Agreement for North America.
Gallagher Group Limited is excited to announce its exclusive distribution agreement with Gasbot Pty Ltd to introduce a satellite-based liquid monitoring system to the North American market.
The Gallagher Satellite Liquid Monitoring system uses Gasbot’s cutting-edge wireless sensor technology to provide timely information on tank liquid levels, enabling farmers to make informed decisions about liquid usage and management. The system uses satellite communications to transmit data from the tanks to the farmer’s cell phone, providing easy access to tank information even in remote or hard-to-reach locations.
The system is not limited to water tanks but can also be used for diesel and fuel tanks, liquid fertilizer, dams, and troughs. It also minimizes the need for manual tank readings, which can be time-consuming and prone to errors, by updating the app with the level data up to 4 times daily.
The Gallagher Satellite Liquid Monitoring system will be available for purchase through Gallagher’s rural retailer network in North America. The first 12 months of the software service are included with the initial purchase, followed by an annual satellite connectivity subscription fee.
Chris van der Loo, Gallagher Global GM Product & Technology, said, “Assurance of water availability is becoming increasingly important for farmers in North America as climate conditions become more unpredictable. Monitoring the resources available on farms needed to care for animals and crops will become more important as we experience the impacts of moving between flood and drought situations very quickly. We are very pleased to be working with Gasbot to offer a satellite liquid monitoring solution to provide peace of mind for farmers across North America regardless of how remote they are”.
Phil Livingston, Managing Director from Gasbot added, “Gasbot is committed to helping farmers understand and optimize water use, as well as monitor fuel and liquid fertilizer levels across their farms, efficiently and cost-effectively. These are values that align perfectly with Gallagher’s strategy. We are excited to partner with Gallagher to bring our innovative product to North America. We believe this product will make a real difference to farmers, providing them with the information they need to manage their liquids and sending alerts when resources are low”.
Gallagher and Gasbot are excited to work together and support the agriculture industry globally.
Stock availability starting June 1, 2023.
About Gallagher
Gallagher pioneered New Zealand’s first electric fencing system in 1938 and has constantly led the way in innovative animal management systems. We offer fencing, weighing, data collection and watering system solutions for specific animals and applications so you can be sure you’re using the right system solution to meet your unique needs. Gallagher’s success can be credited to a customer centric approach to research and development with a strong focus on end-user needs. This philosophy is endorsed with 8% of the group’s total revenue invested in R&D annually.
www.gallagher.com
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