Tag Archives: Auckland

The Associated Press reports: As the clock struck midnight in Australia, tons of explosives erupted in a 12-minute display that focused on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. More than 1 million people — a number equivalent to one in five of the city’s residents — watched from the shore and from boats in the harbor. “It’s total madness,” said German tourist …

Reuters reports: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday extended a lockdown in Auckland by two weeks, while officials reported the country’s first death linked to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. New Zealand had been largely virus-free for months, barring a small number of cases in February, until an outbreak of the Delta variant imported from Australia prompted Ardern to …

The Washington Post reports: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday the country had confirmed four new novel coronavirus cases, ending a more than 100-day streak without recording any community transmission. Auckland will move to impose new restrictions Wednesday afternoon though midnight Friday as officials assess the threat, Ardern said, and asked residents to stay home and take precautions. …

Stuff New Zealand reports: Religious heckling towards participants of the Auckland Pride march was “quite jarring”, an organiser says. About 7000 members of the region’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) communities took part in the march on Saturday through Auckland’s CBD. They were met with a group of protesters on Queen St, who then followed the participants …

The celebrations have begun! “Auckland, New Zealand is the first major city to welcome the new year. The city’s celebrations include a fireworks display, launched from the Sky Tower.” Are you working today? Where will you be tonight?

Via Stuff New Zealand: Three ANZ bank branches and a police station are the latest targets of “pinkwashing” overnight. Pink paint has been thrown over the front of the bank’s Ponsonby and Mt Eden branches and the Ponsonby police station, accompanied by letters outlining the reasons behind the attacks. The “pinkwashing” comes days after a glittering ANZ ATM money machine …

Via Gay Star News: What is thought to be a homophobic attack on an ‘GAYTM’ which was installed on Ponsonby Road by ANZ Bank to celebrate Auckland Pride Festival this month may not be homophobic after all. The GAYTM was reportedly vandalized on Thursday night. A group calling itself  “Queers Against Injustice” posted a statement on Saturday saying they targeted …

As I reported last week, a New Zealand bank has decorated its Auckland ATMs in celebration of this week’s pride events. Today one of the machines was damaged by an as yet unidentified vandal. The bank took to Twitter this after to vow that the machine will be “glittering again in no time.” Let’s hope we get to see the …

Via Stuff New Zealand: Sedate inner-city banking has been transformed with ANZ unveiling four fabulous “GAYTMs” in Auckland and Wellington to celebrate diversity and inclusion for New Zealand’s rainbow community. Dripping with rhinestones, the customised cash machines were accompanied today by ANZ staff dressed as their drag queen alter-egos, a colourful scene that stopped passersby in their tracks. “I think …