Nor'West News: October 16, 2025
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alana@alliedmedia.co.nz<br />
FOR LOCAL ADVERTISING<br />
Alana Powell<br />
Ph: 027 535 6583<br />
alana@alliedmedia.co.nz<br />
Native species<br />
get boost from<br />
FOR LOCAL ADVERTISING<br />
Annabel Judd<br />
Ph: 021 457 469<br />
annabel.judd@alliedmedia.co.nz<br />
harbour pest<br />
FOR LOCAL ADVERTISING<br />
Jenny Wright<br />
Ph: 021 220 3484<br />
jenny@alliedmedia.co.nz<br />
control project<br />
A successful pest control<br />
programme taking place<br />
around Whakaraupō Lyttelton<br />
Harbour The Star, has January removed 23, <strong>2025</strong> nearly<br />
4700 predators, thanks to a<br />
network of volunteers, support<br />
from landowners and city<br />
council funding.<br />
The Whaka Ora Pest Project<br />
(WOPP), run in partnership<br />
with Conservation Volunteers<br />
New The Zealand Star, January (CVNZ), 23, <strong>2025</strong> targets<br />
invasive predators such as possums,<br />
rats and stoats.<br />
It also tackles invasive weeds<br />
including spur valerian, old<br />
man’s beard, banana passionfruit,<br />
boneseed, wilding pines<br />
and sycamore.<br />
The The project’s Star, January overall 23, <strong>2025</strong> goal is to<br />
restore the harbour’s natural<br />
biodiversity while building a<br />
resilient, engaged community,<br />
said CVNZ Canterbury regional<br />
manager Hamish Fairbairn.<br />
With more than 90 trained<br />
volunteer trappers, a network of<br />
800 traps and 31 traplines, WOPP<br />
currently protects more than<br />
440ha of public and private land.<br />
Reducing pest numbers creates<br />
space for native populations to<br />
recover and thrive, Fairbairn<br />
said.<br />
“As pest numbers drop, we<br />
see increased nesting success in<br />
native birds, more sightings of<br />
invertebrates, and the regeneration<br />
of native vegetation.<br />
“In the harbour, people are seeing<br />
larger flocks for kererū, the<br />
return of tomtit miromiro and<br />
The success of the Whaka Ora Pest Project in targeting invasive species around Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour has created<br />
space for native species like kererū to recover and thrive.<br />
PHOTOS: CCC<br />
increased sightings<br />
of tūī.”<br />
WOPP covers<br />
council parks<br />
and reserves,<br />
Department of<br />
Conservation<br />
land, and private<br />
land, recognising<br />
that ecological<br />
threats can move<br />
freely across<br />
Hamish<br />
Fairbairn<br />
property lines, Fairbairn said.<br />
“We rely on the commitment<br />
of our volunteers, and the funding<br />
we receive from council<br />
helps cover the costs of essential<br />
equipment like traps, bait and<br />
monitoring tools as well as training,<br />
co-ordination and safety<br />
support.”<br />
The city council has two funds<br />
to support community environmental<br />
initiatives like WOPP,<br />
both now open for applications.<br />
The biodiversity fund is<br />
aimed at landowners wanting<br />
to protect and enhance areas<br />
of ecological significance on<br />
private land within council<br />
boundaries.<br />
Parks programmes and partnerships<br />
manager Roslyn Kerr<br />
said this could be through<br />
initiatives like fencing, native<br />
planting or pest control.<br />
“Working in partnership starnews.co.nz with<br />
private landowners, we can<br />
achieve outcomes that benefit<br />
the whole city.”<br />
The city council also offers<br />
the environmental partnerships<br />
fund, Kerr said.<br />
“This is targeted at community<br />
organisations, charities starnews.co.nz and<br />
non-profit groups looking to<br />
partner with our parks rangers<br />
on projects of shared interest to<br />
the community and the city as a<br />
whole.”<br />
WOPP has received a combined<br />
$70,000 in city council funding<br />
from both the biodiversity starnews.co.nz and<br />
environmental partnership funds.<br />
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The Star, <strong>October</strong> <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />
starnews.co.nz<br />
Rehoming requests soar as financial<br />
BY GEOFF SLOAN<br />
The rising cost of living is<br />
forcing some pet owners to give<br />
up animals they can no longer<br />
afford to care for.<br />
One animal rescue charity,<br />
already at full capacity, recently<br />
received five rehoming requests<br />
in a single day.<br />
Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust<br />
general manager Bridget Paterson<br />
said there has been a steady<br />
increase in the number of<br />
requests to surrender dogs.<br />
“On average, at least one a<br />
day,” she said.<br />
Many of the reasons people<br />
gave were linked to financial<br />
hardship.<br />
“We had some dogs who<br />
required medical treatment<br />
which owners couldn’t afford,<br />
elderly people moving into care<br />
where they can’t take their dog<br />
or elderly passing away and<br />
family not wanting to care for<br />
their dog.<br />
“Also, people moving rentals<br />
and unable to keep their dogs<br />
or people who rescue a dog in a<br />
poor situation but cannot keep<br />
it themselves,” Paterson said.<br />
One such person was Papanui<br />
resident Dana Bennett, who was<br />
driving home when she spotted<br />
a man walking down the street<br />
pushing a shopping trolley with<br />
four chihuahuas in a dog crate.<br />
“I had to stop. I felt it wasn’t<br />
right,” she said.<br />
When she pulled over to talk<br />
to him, the man told her he was<br />
Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust general manager Bridget Paterson with Snow, an eight-month-old shar pei–bull terrier cross currently<br />
available for adoption.<br />
homeless and had been given<br />
the dogs by his niece to look<br />
after, but she never came back<br />
for them.<br />
“I offered to take them and<br />
let them run around in my back<br />
yard.”<br />
A few days later, the man<br />
visited Bennett at home and said<br />
he was happy to leave the dogs<br />
with her, as he couldn’t give<br />
them the life they deserved.<br />
“We want to do more,<br />
save more dogs, offer<br />
more education, more<br />
support, more desexing<br />
to prevent unwanted<br />
litters and more<br />
vaccinations to prevent<br />
the spread of lifethreatening<br />
diseases.”<br />
Bridget Paterson<br />
“He said I’d given them more<br />
in four days than he had in six<br />
months."<br />
Bennett surrendered the<br />
chihuahuas to Dogwatch, but<br />
with no space available, she<br />
agreed to foster them until<br />
homes could be found.<br />
One found a home straight<br />
away, and Bennett decided to<br />
adopt one herself.<br />
Paterson said the trust’s Dyers<br />
Rd site is always at its 14-dog<br />
capacity.<br />
The organisation also has<br />
13 dogs in foster care and 18<br />
recently adopted dogs currently<br />
settling into new homes, with<br />
support and guidance to help<br />
both owners and pets adjust.<br />
She said it was not<br />
uncommon to hear stories of<br />
people facing hardship who still<br />
put their dogs’ needs before<br />
their own.<br />
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starnews.co.nz The Star, <strong>October</strong> <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />
hardship takes its toll<br />
Dogwatch offers food<br />
assistance for dog owners, but<br />
demand for that service has also<br />
increased this year.<br />
The trust adopts out about<br />
100 dogs each year, but rising<br />
demand means “it’s looking<br />
more like 120 dogs this year,”<br />
Paterson said.<br />
Data from Companion Animals<br />
NZ shows New Zealand<br />
has about 4.35m companion<br />
animals – proportionately the<br />
second-highest rate in the world<br />
after the United States.<br />
About two-thirds of New<br />
Zealand households share their<br />
home with a pet (63%), with<br />
cats the most popular at 40% of<br />
households, followed by dogs at<br />
31%.<br />
Dogwatch is now in its 43rd<br />
year of operation.<br />
“It all started with a group of<br />
ladies protesting outside local<br />
pounds, objecting to the number<br />
of unclaimed dogs being<br />
euthanised,” Paterson said.<br />
The group persuaded local<br />
pounds to allow them to set up<br />
fostering networks to care for<br />
animals until permanent homes<br />
could be found.<br />
“Back in those days, dogs were<br />
held in a pound for five days<br />
and if not claimed they were<br />
euthanised. That practice has<br />
significantly changed now.”<br />
Dogwatch does not receive<br />
any council or government<br />
funding and relies heavily on<br />
grants and public support.<br />
The registered charity has<br />
Dana Bennett with five-year-old chihuahua-crosses Mama and Ghosty, which she<br />
rescued from a homeless man late last month. Both dogs are available for adoption<br />
and have attracted strong interest.<br />
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN<br />
about 130 volunteers and 13<br />
part-time staff at its Dyers Rd<br />
headquarters, plus three parttime<br />
staff at its variety shop in<br />
New Brighton, which provides<br />
some regular income.<br />
Paterson said their goal is<br />
simple – to save more dogs.<br />
“We want to do more,<br />
save more dogs, offer more<br />
education, more support, more<br />
desexing to prevent unwanted<br />
litters and more vaccinations<br />
to prevent the spread of lifethreatening<br />
diseases.”<br />
She said the ultimate goal is<br />
to have every dog in a loving<br />
home.<br />
“So effectively, we won’t need<br />
to exist.”<br />
‘Huge win for city’ as<br />
national events secured<br />
With the doors of New Zealand’s<br />
largest indoor sport and<br />
recreation venue set to open<br />
before the end of the year, the<br />
2026 calendar is already filling up<br />
with national competitions and<br />
events.<br />
Swimming New Zealand and<br />
Basketball New Zealand have<br />
signed on with the city council<br />
to make use of the brand-new<br />
spaces at Parakiore Recreation<br />
and Sport Centre.<br />
City council head of recreation,<br />
sport and events Nigel Cox said<br />
bringing the events to Christchurch<br />
and Parakiore is “a huge<br />
win for the city”.<br />
“Having these exciting events<br />
in our own backyard is not only<br />
a boost to our local athletes and<br />
sports fans but will also have positive<br />
impacts for the whole city.”<br />
Swimming NZ will hold its 2026<br />
short course championships at<br />
Parakiore from September 27 to<br />
<strong>October</strong> 1.<br />
“Our swimming community<br />
can’t wait to be competing at<br />
Parakiore in the brand-new<br />
facility,” said Swimming NZ head<br />
of participation, competitions<br />
and engagement Dale Johnson.<br />
Swimming NZ estimates about<br />
1350 athletes, coaches and supporters<br />
will travel to the city for<br />
the event, with 150 local athletes<br />
also set to compete.<br />
Basketball New Zealand is<br />
also bringing the Foot Locker<br />
U<strong>16</strong> national championships to<br />
Christchurch in July.<br />
Swimming NZ estimates about 1350<br />
athletes, coaches and supporters will<br />
travel to Christchurch for the 2026<br />
national short course championships, to<br />
be held at Parakiore.<br />
“For many of these young<br />
athletes, it will be their first experience<br />
competing on a stage of<br />
this scale, and we know it’ll be<br />
a memorable one,” said Basketball<br />
NZ tournaments lead Jay<br />
Macdonald.<br />
More than 400 competitors and<br />
2000 spectators are expected to<br />
attend the four-day event.<br />
The city council is also working<br />
with other sporting organisations<br />
to secure hosting rights for further<br />
events.<br />
“We’re aiming to secure<br />
around 12 national or international<br />
events and 15-20 regional<br />
events each year for Parakiore,”<br />
Cox said.<br />
Parakiore will open to the<br />
public before the end of the year,<br />
once the operational fit-out, load<br />
testing and site-specific staff<br />
training has taken place.<br />
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The Star, <strong>October</strong> <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />
starnews.co.nz<br />
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Telling Stories:<br />
Narrative That Matters in Marketing<br />
I recently came upon a work by Morgan<br />
Housel, author of Same as Ever. This small<br />
book looks at what remains unchanged in<br />
an ever-changing world, and he wrote the<br />
following: “I’ve noticed we live in a world<br />
where people are bored, impatient, emotional<br />
and need complicated things distilled into<br />
easy-to-grasp scenes.” And I agree. Housel<br />
then went on to state that it’s his belief “the<br />
best story wins.”<br />
People don’t want a lecture; they want a story. So<br />
much so that sometimes the story has become more<br />
important than its accuracy or context. There are so<br />
many conclusions I could draw from this, but the one<br />
I’ll stick with is considering the marketing or stories that<br />
provide a platform for real estate sales. I was told early<br />
in my career that people respond to the ‘sizzle not the<br />
steak’ and although it sounds old-fashioned, the best<br />
marketers would insist there’s an element of truth to it.<br />
There’s an art to storytelling and it’s easy to understand<br />
why.<br />
History has provided some outstanding storytellers;<br />
men and women who, through strength of personality,<br />
great timing and magnetic voices or extraordinary<br />
penmanship, could move others to tears, joy, victory<br />
and – for the sake of our story – purchase.<br />
I love a great story and have the beautiful fortune of<br />
living with a husband who delights in telling a good<br />
story, and I’ve learnt to appreciate that very special<br />
quality.<br />
I also belong to a profession where stories – good, bad,<br />
indifferent, spectacular or sometimes stretched out of<br />
shape – are utilised to ignite interest in a property.<br />
It can be hard to find marketing, however, which hits<br />
the mark beautifully. It’s often awash with so many<br />
superlatives or alliteration that it becomes silly, it's<br />
exaggerated to the point of puffery or it’s full of hard<br />
facts and dull.<br />
One of the keys to getting the balance of narrative and<br />
facts right is the translation of features into real-life<br />
benefits. That is, the story can identify features that solve<br />
problems or create opportunities.<br />
These items needn’t be minimised by realtors. To a<br />
couple downsizing from a two-storey home, for example,<br />
the prospect of a single storey or at least a downstairs<br />
bedroom stands out like a beacon, and they don’t want<br />
to read through a screed of other information to get to<br />
this.<br />
Likewise, the picture that is drawn when you tell a story of<br />
children being able to pitch tents in the backyard or play<br />
cricket. Or people looking at townhouses or units and<br />
lighting up when there’s mention of garaging or off-street<br />
parking. These features make everything more real and<br />
equally more desirable.<br />
Emotions move people: the right stories reach out<br />
to different buyer groups or demographics and<br />
capture interest. When that interest is ignited, it will<br />
often progress to a response, and I’ve seen incredible<br />
responses – especially in auction rooms.<br />
So, know your client, buyer, or customer, light a fire with<br />
a story-based campaign, not a sheet full of statistics and<br />
see where it leads.<br />
On the flipside, buyers will sometimes overlook the<br />
answers to even the most important questions because<br />
they don't like or understand the way the answers are<br />
put to them – or simply because they contradict an<br />
exceptional story that they’re emotionally committed to.<br />
In this case you will truly know that it's the best story that<br />
wins.<br />
And with that I’ll end my own story and wish you well as<br />
you continue your way through spring.<br />
Lynette McFadden<br />
Harcourts gold Business Owner<br />
027 432 0447<br />
lynette.mcfadden@harcourtsgold.co.nz<br />
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starnews.co.nz The Star, <strong>October</strong> <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />
The Way<br />
We Were<br />
Jumpy contestants in 1971, including Stephen Woods<br />
with winning frog Hercules (right, below right).<br />
Below – National Wigram candidate David Cox proved he was<br />
no blowhard when he won the competition in 1972.<br />
1971 – FROG JUMPING CHAMPS<br />
It was an un-frog-gettable<br />
opportunity. New Zealand’s<br />
first national frog jumping<br />
competition leapt into action<br />
at Bishopdale Mall on <strong>October</strong><br />
20, 1971.<br />
Contestants scoured rivers<br />
and marshes in the lead-up in<br />
search of frogs.<br />
The competition ran for<br />
seven days, with a testing<br />
and weigh-in station set up at<br />
Bishopdale Pharmacy.<br />
An estimated 10,000 frogs<br />
were expected to take part,<br />
contest secretary-organiser<br />
Mr D. Grady told The Press.<br />
“I expect at least 500<br />
entrants on the first day and<br />
I expect the number to rise<br />
at each of the 10 jumping<br />
sessions over the next seven<br />
shopping days,” he said.<br />
Frogs from other parts of<br />
the country, including 25<br />
from the West Coast, arrived<br />
after preliminary rounds<br />
conducted by Lions clubs<br />
in regional towns.<br />
Rodney Prescott’s frog, Mr<br />
Muldoon, made the biggest<br />
leap on day one – 6ft (1.8m).<br />
But the competition was won<br />
by Stephen Woods, aged 9,<br />
with his frog, Hercules.<br />
Hercules leapt 7ft 41/2in (2.2m)<br />
to pick up $700 in prizes and<br />
cash – and the right to fly on<br />
a specially moisturised velvet<br />
cushion on a BOAC V10 to the<br />
United States.<br />
The following May, Hercules<br />
was cleared to participate<br />
in the world frog jumping<br />
championships in California.<br />
He was thought to be the first<br />
NZ frog to leave the country<br />
for such a competition.<br />
However, Hercules would<br />
not be allowed to return<br />
home because of Department<br />
of Agriculture regulations;<br />
he would be adopted by an<br />
American boy.<br />
The national competition<br />
was held again in 1972.<br />
PHOTOS: CHRISTCHURCH STAR, CANTERBURYSTORIES.NZ<br />
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The Star, <strong>October</strong> <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />
starnews.co.nz<br />
Fresh ideas, full flavours<br />
Fresh focaccia, a zesty dip and<br />
bright pea salad makes a vibrant<br />
spring lunch, writes Nigel Slater<br />
HERB FOCACCIA WITH GREEN<br />
OLIVE, BURNT LEMON AND<br />
THYME DIP<br />
If you happen to have a<br />
jar of sourdough starter in<br />
the fridge, add a couple of<br />
tablespoons when you add the<br />
yeast. Grilling the lemon gives<br />
the juice a more mellow, lightly<br />
toasted flavour.<br />
Ingredients<br />
Serves 2-4<br />
For the focaccia<br />
400ml warm water<br />
2 tsp easy-baked dried yeast<br />
1 tsp sea salt<br />
1 tsp caster sugar<br />
500g strong white bread flour<br />
6 Tbsp olive oil<br />
1 Tbsp thyme leaves<br />
sea salt flakes<br />
You will also need a high-sided<br />
baking tin, about 24x24cm<br />
For the dip<br />
1 large lemon<br />
250g stoned green olives<br />
1 Tbsp thyme leaves<br />
6 Tbsp olive oil<br />
<br />
Method<br />
• Put the water and yeast into<br />
a large mixing bowl and add the<br />
salt and sugar. If you are adding<br />
sourdough starter, do so now.<br />
• Mix in the flour by hand or<br />
with a spatula. Add 2 Tbsp of<br />
the olive oil and mix into the<br />
dough. Cover the bowl with<br />
a tea towel and refrigerate<br />
overnight (I like to give the<br />
dough a good eight hours).<br />
• Next day, when the dough<br />
has risen to about twice its<br />
original size, chop the thyme<br />
leaves and add them into the<br />
dough along with another<br />
2Tbsp of the oil.<br />
• Lightly oil the baking tin<br />
and turn the dough out into<br />
it. Push the dough to fit the tin<br />
with your fist, gently pushing it<br />
almost into the corners.<br />
• Wrap the tin in a cloth and<br />
place in a warm spot for about<br />
an hour until it has risen to<br />
twice its size. Set the oven to<br />
220degC. When the oven is<br />
ready, push 12 or so hollows<br />
into the dough with your finger,<br />
scatter the surface with sea salt<br />
and bake for 30 minutes until<br />
golden. Remove from the oven<br />
and pour the remaining oil<br />
over.<br />
• For the dip: Get a small<br />
griddle pan hot. Cut the lemon<br />
in half and place cut side down<br />
on the griddle. Leave until the<br />
underside is toasted, even a<br />
little blackened, then remove<br />
and squeeze the juice.<br />
• Put the olives in a food<br />
processor with the thyme<br />
leaves, and process until finely<br />
chopped.<br />
• Pour in the olive oil then,<br />
finally, 4 Tbsp of lemon juice.<br />
Check the seasoning — you may<br />
need a little black pepper. Serve<br />
with the warm focaccia.<br />
PEA SALAD WITH RICOTTA<br />
AND LEMON<br />
A soft, sharp and creamy salad<br />
with the crunch of peas and<br />
crisp, raw radishes.<br />
Ingredients<br />
Serves 3 as a light salad<br />
For the ricotta<br />
2 cloves young garlic<br />
250g ricotta<br />
4 Tbsp natural yoghurt<br />
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest<br />
For the salad<br />
200g peas, podded weight<br />
2 handfuls (about 150g) peas in<br />
their pod (or mangetout)<br />
2 Tbsp olive oil<br />
2 large handfuls pea shoots<br />
2 Tbsp pine kernels<br />
6 radishes, halved<br />
For the mint oil<br />
12-15 mint leaves<br />
75ml olive oil<br />
Method<br />
• Peel the garlic and crush to a<br />
paste with a tiny pinch of salt. I<br />
use a small pestle and mortar for<br />
this, but the flat blade of a knife<br />
or the back of a spoon will do.<br />
• Mix together the ricotta and<br />
yoghurt to give a loose paste,<br />
then stir in the garlic and the<br />
finely grated lemon zest. Add<br />
a little coarsely ground black<br />
pepper.<br />
• Have a bowl of iced water to<br />
hand. Bring a deep pan of water<br />
to the boil, salt it lightly, add<br />
both lots of peas and cook for 3-4<br />
minutes, then drain and plunge<br />
into iced water. This stops them<br />
cooking and keeps their colour<br />
bright.<br />
• Drain and shake them dry<br />
(you could use a salad spinner).<br />
Toss the peas in the olive oil.<br />
• In a dry pan, toast the pine<br />
kernels until pale gold in colour.<br />
Keep them moving round the<br />
pan so they colour evenly, and<br />
keep an eye on them, as they are<br />
easy to burn.<br />
• Blitz the mint leaves and<br />
olive oil in a food processor or<br />
blender, adjusting to a pouring<br />
consistency with a little water.<br />
Season lightly with salt.<br />
• Put the ricotta dip on a<br />
serving dish, add the peas, pea<br />
shoots and radishes. Scatter with<br />
the toasted pine kernels and<br />
trickle the mint oil over.<br />
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The Star, <strong>October</strong> <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2025</strong><br />
starnews.co.nz<br />
CROSSWORD<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8<br />
9<br />
10 11<br />
12 13<br />
14 15 <strong>16</strong> 17 18<br />
19 20 21<br />
422<br />
SUDOKU<br />
Every row, column and box should<br />
contain the digits 1 to 9.<br />
WordBuilder<br />
WORDBUILDER<br />
T<br />
H W<br />
O Y R<br />
6<br />
322 322<br />
O Y R<br />
words of three or more letters,<br />
How<br />
including<br />
many<br />
plurals,<br />
words<br />
can you<br />
of<br />
make<br />
three<br />
from<br />
or<br />
the<br />
more<br />
six<br />
letters, using each letter only once? No foreign<br />
How words or beginning with a capital are<br />
from many the words six letters, of three using or more each letters, only<br />
allowed. There's at least one six-letter word.<br />
including once? plurals, can you make from the six<br />
TODAY<br />
letters,<br />
No Good words<br />
using 14 each<br />
beginning Very letter Good only 17 with<br />
once? Excellent a capital<br />
No 20 foreign<br />
are<br />
words<br />
allowed. Solution or words 321: There’s desk, beginning desks, at die, with<br />
least dies, a dike, capital<br />
one dikes, are<br />
allowed. six-letter<br />
disk, disks, There's diss, ides, at least ids, kid, one kids, six-letter kiss, KISSED, word. side,<br />
word. sides, sis, ski, skid, skids, TODAY skied, skies, skis.<br />
Good 14 Very Good 17 Excellent 20<br />
letters, including plurals, can you make<br />
Solution 321: desk, desks, die, dies, dike, dikes,<br />
disk, disks, diss, ides, ids, kid, kids, kiss, KISSED, side,<br />
sides, sis, ski, skid, skids, skied, skies, skis.<br />
22 23 24 25 26<br />
27 28<br />
29<br />
Across<br />
1. Anything advantageous used during<br />
negotiations (10,4)<br />
10. Additional (5)<br />
11. Too early (9)<br />
12. Person in charge of a museum (7)<br />
13. Nonsense (7)<br />
14. Evidence (5)<br />
<strong>16</strong>. Uncomfortable (3,2,4)<br />
19. Lowest female singing voice (9)<br />
20. Donate funds (5)<br />
22. Relating to water (7)<br />
25. Morally correct (7)<br />
27. “__ is the sincerest form of<br />
flattery”: Oscar Wilde (9)<br />
28. Elk (5)<br />
29. Mischief, underhand behaviour<br />
(6,8)<br />
Decoder<br />
Down<br />
2. Post meridiem (9)<br />
3. Hard work (colloq) (5)<br />
4. Unbiased (9)<br />
5. Incompetent (5)<br />
6. Warranty (9)<br />
7. Dog (5)<br />
8. Go before (7)<br />
9. Distinctive mushroom (3,3)<br />
15. Top class (5-4)<br />
17. Unfinished business (5,4)<br />
18. Daring (9)<br />
19. Skull (7)<br />
21. Money holder (6)<br />
23. Employees’ organisation (5)<br />
24. Ascend (5)<br />
26. Homo sapien (5)<br />
Crossword<br />
Across: 1. Bargaining chip, 10. Extra, 11. Premature, 12. Curator, 13.<br />
Twaddle, 14. Proof, <strong>16</strong>. Ill at ease, 19. Contralto, 20. Endow, 22. Aquatic,<br />
25. Ethical, 27. Imitation, 28. Moose, 29. Monkey business.<br />
Down: 2. Afternoon, 3. Graft, 4. Impartial, 5. Inept, 6. Guarantee, 7. Hound,<br />
8. Precede, 9. Red cap, 15. First-rate, 17. Loose ends, 18. Audacious, 19.<br />
Cranium, 21. Wallet, 23. Union, 24. Climb, 26. Human.<br />
WordBuilder<br />
Hot, how, hoy, rho, rot, row, throw, thy, tor, tow, toy, trow, troy, try, two, tyro,<br />
who, why, wort, worth, WORTHY, wot, wroth, wry.<br />
DECODER<br />
Each number represents a different letter of the alphabet. Write the<br />
given letters into all squares with matching numbers. Now work out<br />
which letters are represented by the other numbers.<br />
All puzzles copyright<br />
T H E P U Z Z L E C O M P A N Y<br />
www.thepuzzlecompany.co.nz<br />
Sudoku