The stunning new Business Class Bar and Lounge for Virgin Australia’s newly refitted Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Cambridge Network, UK, 15 June 2016 - AIM Altitude has stretched the geographical and engineering boundaries to produce the stunning new Business Class Bar and Lounge for Virgin Australia’s newly refitted Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
First programme to launch under the new AIM Altitude brand and AVIC ownership
With the design and manufacture programme beginning in 2014, the final Door 2 monument design is the result of a successful collaboration between Virgin Australia, AIM Altitude and design house, tangerine.
The design was developed and engineered by AIM Altitude specialists in New Zealand, before AIM Altitude in the UK took up the mantle with manufacturing at its Cabin Interiors facility in Bournemouth. The first of five refurbished Boeing 777-300ER re-entered service between Australia and the United States in May 2016.
The engineering limits were also expanded. Michael Pervan, Managing Director of Altitude, explained: “When Virgin Australia and AIM Altitude first began collaborating on the project, we wanted to stretch the boundaries of what is currently experienced by passengers in the Door 2 zone of a wide-body aircraft. We faced a number of challenges, including finding methods to engineer and manufacture products that used unique lighting and custom trim and finish materials. Like most aircraft interior projects, we were also faced with the challenges of limited real estate in which to create a relaxing and luxurious environment in the Door 2 zone.”
Altitude achieved an outstanding end result, with an impressive Corian backlit bar countertop light box, lighting embedded within Virgin Australia’s Flying Maiden logo and contemporary leaf pattern ceiling as well as bar-edge lighting designs. Ultimately this has created a zone that feels more spacious with a much improved passenger and crew experience.
As part of the design and development programme AIM Altitude follows with all large programmes of this nature, a specialised product development process was implemented at the commencement of the project. Before any detailed design was undertaken, AIM Altitude liaised with many stakeholders of the aircraft Door 2 zone, such as cabin crew and passengers. This consultation ensured a comprehensive understanding of all user requirements.
As the programme developed, full-sized mock ups were created to give stakeholders the opportunity to experience the Door 2 zone in a realistic environment. This process saw several design changes occur which, without mock-up experience, potentially would not have been identified until much further in the programme where additional cost or delays may have been incurred.
In total, AIM Altitude designed five distinct pieces of furniture for the Door 2 area:
“We are extremely proud of what we have worked with Virgin Australia and tangerine to create,” says Pervan. “There is no doubt that it is a statement on the ‘Art of the Possible’, and we hope that Virgin Australia’s guests enjoy this space as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to life”.
Shipping News Feature US – Founded in New Zealand in 1978 to serve the ocean and air freight and road haulage sectors, Mainfreight moved into the same US markets in 2007 and has now expanded its logistics network there with the addition of two new warehouses. Located in Newark New Jersey and Dallas, Texas the facilities, at 135,000 and 129,000 square feet respectively, boost the company’s available warehousing to 574,000 square feet when added to its existing depots in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago.
Since its inception Mainfreight has established a comprehensive network of warehouses and service throughout the world in addition to its North American network, with almost seven and a half million square feet of space spread between Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Asia. Mainfreight's US services include container drayage, customs clearance, and both LTL and FTL transport in addition to the full portfolio of supply chain solutions offered worldwide. René van Houtum, Vice President of Logistics at Mainfreight Inc. commented:
"We're totally focused on delivering first-class logistics and supply chain solutions to our customers in a comprehensive 'one package' approach. To achieve this we're intensifying our North American and global network capabilities and have aggressive growth targets at Mainfreight to ensure we're well-positioned to help our customers expand their businesses. We measure ourselves by the service and quality we deliver to customers. Our ability to grow is inextricably linked to their satisfaction and loyalty. We never lose sight of that."
A Mainfreight press release June 14, 2016
Darren Guard’s family has been involved in the fishing industry in New Zealand waters for 189 years, since 1827.
He is the last of the Guards to be involved in commercial fishing.
But he no longer catches fish. His involvement is as a director of Guard Safety Ltd, providing advice to the maritime industry, and as project manager for Trident Fisheye, implementing electronic monitoring on to fishing vessels.
It was in that latter role that he was thrust into the spotlight when former Greens leader Russel Norman, now Greenpeace New Zealand head, made breathless allegations about the sinister work Trident was supposedly up to.
The industry-funded project to better monitor inshore fishing is there for all to see on the Trident website.
There is complete transparency. Norman has been invited by Sanford, a major investor in Trident, to view the system on a vessel in the Snapper1 fishery based on the Hauraki Gulf, meet with fishers and tour the processing plant to show the fishery in its entirety and the way it is being protected.
Oddly, surprisingly, he has declined.
The attack on Trident is a clear continuation of the anti-fishing agenda set out in the Simmons catch reconstruction report and the piggy backing on that by German conservation group Nabu calling for an international boycott of New Zealand seafood over alleged lack of Maui dolphin protection.
“Entities like Greenpeace and LegaSea have used propaganda to convince the people of New Zealand that the fishing industry is not sustainable,” Darren Guard said.
“It is, and our technology will prove that.
“I believe the mix of modern technology provided by Trident to monitor fishing activity and provide real time data will help ensure our fish stocks remain strong and grow for the next 189 years.
“Our current electronic monitoring roll out is not a compliance project, it is about verification of known processes and gathering data to improve fisheries management for SNA1. So why are we being accused of being conflicted?”
In fact, the footage is stamped with date, time and position as recorded by the on-board GPS and the encrypted data is downloaded from the boat back in port to a secure computer.
The sophisticated, tamper-resistant cameras with a 360-degree view are monitoring vessels at sea around the clock.
The footage is available in full to the Ministry for Primary Industries' fisheries section for monitoring of compliance with the Fisheries Act and Quota Management System.
Guard is frustrated at what he sees as misrepresentation, if not lies, about the fishing industry.
His two daughters came home from school after a session with a local environmentalist and told him it was bad to be a fisherman and he should not catch fish any more.
He asked Katelyn, 10, and Emma, 8, what they thought about their dad being in fishing and what would happen if the industry was forced to close?
Katelyn: You should not be killing fish as I was told that was bad. But I think it is okay now because they taste so good.
Emma: The snorkelling would be good if there was no fishing.
Katelyn: But there would be no fish and chips.
Emma: It would be sad to shut down our family history and, dad, it would take you a long time to get another job. If you had no work, we would get sick because we would have no food.
Katelyn: Rubbish put in the ocean probably kills more fish than fishing.
Emma: If you cannot go fishing then neither will the other dads on your boats. What about the people that fix the boats? Will their kids get presents if their dads cannot work on boats?
*I am personally familiar with the Guard story, having worked as a deckhand on the Destiny G for a scallop season in the early 70s.
Darren’s father Phil was the skipper. We worked out of Waitapu in Golden Bay and out of Nelson in Tasman Bay over a golden summer. That tough little boat was built by Jack Guard for cray fishing in the Chathams and is still in service, since sold and now berthed at Napier. Jack Guard, ex D’Urville Island, had a boat yard on Nelson’s Haven Road for many years.
I loved the sea and the life but was not cut out to be a deckie. The scallops and all the other scrapings from the shallow seabed – kinas and shells and mussels and sting rays and skates and weed – all piled higher and higher on the tray as the dredges came aboard and the sun got higher in the sky and I got further and further behind, a Sisyphus of the sea.
Phil was usually an easygoing man, always treated me well, but his patience was sometimes sorely tried. When he did get testy, I would cool him off by filling one of his boots with the deck hose. “Aw, you’ve done it again,” he’d cry. It was always an accident of course.
Phil’s older brothers, Chris and John, worked a bigger boat, the Gleam, and always had the biggest catch of the day. The deckie’s job on the Destiny included cooking the evening meal but I wasn’t much chop at that either, although in my defence, Phil didn’t often bring much food. Flounders plucked out of the trawl were a backstop. Happily, Chris was master of a pressure cooker, and we would usually tie up alongside Gleam and dine there, along with others in the fleet.
Now, more than 40 years on, I indirectly work for a Guard again, and all others in the fishing industry.
It seems fitting.
This release was originally published by Seafood New Zealand, June Friday 10, 2018
Wellington, 14 June 2016 - The Reserve Bank is warning of what appears to be a scam email sent to businesses in the financial sector.
The scam email, purportedly from a Reserve Bank staff member, encourages recipients to click on a link to view “New Transaction Guidelines”.
The email was not sent by the Reserve Bank, and clicking on the link could potentially expose the recipient’s computer to a virus.
Visit www.scamwatch.govt.nz for more information about how scams work and how you can protect yourself.
A press release from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand
NZBloodService, 14 June 2016 - Last year 110,000 New Zealanders donated over 160,000 units of blood, helping save the lives of over 42,000 ordinary Kiwis. For many, this great act of giving quite simply made the difference between life and death.
“Donating blood is selfless act which has the potential to save the life of a total stranger. Today on World Blood Donor Day, on behalf of New Zealand, we want to say ‘thank you blood donors’ and acknowledge how their generosity touches so many lives” says Asuka Burge, National Manager Marketing and Communications for NZBS.
To mark this World Blood Donor Day, New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is launching a new app for iPhone and Android, putting the power to save lives in the palm of the users’ hand. It has never been easier to find a time and place to make a blood donation.
“Over 50% of blood donations are made through mobile blood drives across the country. Staying connected with all our donors, not just those that visit a donor centre is vitally important to NZBS. The app was developed in an intuitive way that will enable us to stay connected with all of our donors, creating regular touchpoints that we hope will act as a call to action to continue donating and encourage others to do so as well,” says Asuka Burge, New Zealand Blood Service National Manager Marketing and Communications.
As well as being able to book appointments, access maps of all the blood drives across the country and share across personal social media platforms, whole blood donors that download the app will also receive a special notification when their blood has been used to help save a fellow kiwi’s life.
“When developing the app it was very important for us to include features that would help ensure our donors continued to feel valued and to remind them what a wonderful gift they are giving. Donors could be at home, on the bus to work or just supermarket shopping and they will receive a ‘thank you’. We hope it goes some way to remind our donors what a wonderful difference they are making to someone else’s life,” continues Ms. Burge.
New Zealand Blood Service app key features:
The NZ Blood Service Donor App is available for free to download for iPhone on the App Store, and for Android devices on the Google Play store. The app is available for new and current whole blood donors, and current plasma donors. Platelet donors will still need to contact the donor centres to book their appointments
A GeekZone press release
BALDWIN, Long Island, New York, June 13 2016 - - A Baldwin business owner spoke with News 12 Long Island about how she had to fight Donald Trump over the name of her travel business.
Claudia Rabin-Manning bought Trump Travel in 1989. Shortly after, she was slapped with a lawsuit by the presumptive Republican presidential candidate for using his last name.
She says the family-operated travel agency had already been named Trump Travel when she bought it - the name referring to a term used when playing cards.
The lawsuit was eventually settled and wound up costing Manning thousands in legal fees. The judge ruled that Manning had to use a disclaimer saying her business was not in any way related to Donald Trump. That wound up including her stationary, emails and even the sign outside the building - “Not affiliated with Donald J. Trump or the Trump Organization”.
Manning says her agency's name did bring attention to her business, but just not in a positive way.
Trump's attorneys made a second attempt to sue the travel agency for a similar reason in the 1990s, but that attempt was also unsuccessful.
This article published by News 12 Long Island
BALDWIN, Long Island, New York, June 13 2016 - - A Baldwin business owner spoke with News 12 Long Island about how she had to fight Donald Trump over the name of her travel business.
Claudia Rabin-Manning bought Trump Travel in 1989. Shortly after, she was slapped with a lawsuit by the presumptive Republican presidential candidate for using his last name.
She says the family-operated travel agency had already been named Trump Travel when she bought it - the name referring to a term used when playing cards.
The lawsuit was eventually settled and wound up costing Manning thousands in legal fees. The judge ruled that Manning had to use a disclaimer saying her business was not in any way related to Donald Trump. That wound up including her stationary, emails and even the sign outside the building - “Not affiliated with Donald J. Trump or the Trump Organization”.
Manning says her agency's name did bring attention to her business, but just not in a positive way.
Trump's attorneys made a second attempt to sue the travel agency for a similar reason in the 1990s, but that attempt was also unsuccessful.
This article published by News 12 Long Island
Watch the BNZ with its long memory
Wellington, Friday 10 June 2016 - New electric vehicle signage launched today will help remove barriers to going electric, Transport Minister Simon Bridges says.
The new signage, developed by the Christchurch City Council and approved by the NZ Transport Agency, uses an easily recognisable symbol to identify where electric vehicles can be charged. The signage can now be rolled out for use on State Highways and local roads across the country.
Todays’ launch follows the announcement of the Government’s Electric Vehicles Programme last month.
“It’s clear that electric vehicles are the future and the Government is committed to accelerating uptake in New Zealand.
“We have recognised there are a number of barriers preventing households switching to electric vehicles, such as a lack of awareness of electric vehicles and widespread public charging infrastructure.
“To help people transition from petrol and diesel we need to ensure there is easy access to charging infrastructure and that it is easy to find. The launch of national charging signage is a great first step in helping motorists switch to electric.
“I applaud the Christchurch City Council for taking the lead and developing a symbol that can now be used across the country, with a number of councils already signalling their intention to install it in their regions.”
Mr Bridges says the Government is now working on progressing the Electric Vehicles Programme.
“Following my announcement last month, we’re now in the process of establishing the contestable fund, leadership group, information campaign and we’ll be looking at introducing changes to Road User Charges later this year.”
Further information on the Government’s Electric Vehicles Programme is available at: www.transport.govt.nz/ev
10 June 2016 - A new online version of the herd management system most New Zealand farmers use will be officially launched at Fieldays by LIC.
MINDA® LIVE brings new features that will make life easier for dairy farmers, managers and their staff. Farmers will be able to use the system anywhere, any time on any internet enabled device.
“MINDA LIVE brings a modern online experience to the dairy farm,” LIC CIO Paul Littlefair said. The system has new features farmers have been asking for, such as automatic updates. “MINDA LIVE operates in real-time. Multiple users can enter data at the same time wherever they are. If a farm worker in the dairy shed puts information in the system, it will appear instantly at the house so the farmer can see it. Access is available via broadband, fixed or mobile, on any computer, tablet, or mobile devices,” Littlefair said.
New features include a virtual “holding pen” that will “hold” information users have entered until the farmer has a chance to review and approve it. Another feature is a new customisable report template. Farmers will be able to build customisable reports in the system by adding new animal attributes, e.g. breeding worth, milking information, expected calving date. “A range of new features will be progressively added to MINDA LIVE throughout the year ahead,” Littlefair said.
As a farm information and management system, MINDA LIVE puts farmers in control of their farm operations. It improves farmers’ decision making about herds and individual animals, including breeding, feeding and culling decisions. “Having access to this information is powerful. It helps you decide which animals to keep in your herd, which improves your production and the genetic merit of your herd over time.”
Littlefair said MINDA LIVE will still need to go offline from time to time to allow system upgrades and updates, e.g. when nationwide Animal Evaluation data updates take place. These data updates help ensure the animal data that benefits all New Zealand dairy farmers remains up to date.
Farmers are encouraged to come along to LIC’s site at Fieldays, EX1 in the Exhibition Building, to see MINDA LIVE in action. They are also encouraged to visit the LIC Automation site (E30) to find out about a range of innovative automation products for the dairy shed.MINDA LIVE offers for farmers at LIC’s site at Fieldays:
MINDA Workshops at Fieldays
To find out more about MINDA LIVE, drop into one of our MINDA workshops, to be held in the Seminar Marquee in the Central Precinct at Fieldays.
A LIC press release June 10,2016
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242