Kitchen fire at Greerton's Castle 91 Indian restaurant forces it to close for a few weeks
Less than 24 hours later, firefighters were battling a blaze in the Greerton Village restaurant's kitchen, as flames spewed from vents in the roof.
Manager Mike Dhillion
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RNZ News
21 hours ago
- RNZ News
Masterchef contest headlines 2025 Indian Independence Day plans
Indian Independence Day celebrations in 2024. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom With the opening of an Indian Consulate General in Auckland in September last year , celebrations for the 79th anniversary of India's Independence Day promise to be bigger and better next month. "This year we are organising a multi-city, multi-day Indian festival titled 'The World and Us', bringing together the shared values of culture, cuisine and commerce between India and New Zealand," said Madan Mohan Sethi, consul general of India in Auckland. The celebrations will run from 15-18 August, with events held in Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and Whangarei. While the Indian High Commission in Wellington and Consulate General of India in Auckland will lead celebrations, several community organisations, including the New Zealand Indian Central Association, Waikato Indian Association and the Northland Indian Association are aiding efforts. In Wellington, the Indian High Commission will hold its annual flag hoisting ceremony, followed by a few cultural performances, at its premises in the capital on the morning of 15 August. A similar function will be held in Auckland at Mount Eden's Mahatma Gandhi Centre on the same day, followed by a community reception in the evening. India achieved independence after two centuries of British rule on 15 August 1947. Indians and people of Indian origin all over the world typically come together around this date to mark the independence struggle each year. "[In the afternoon of 15 August] we will have a food festival in Auckland's North Shore, which will showcase Indian culinary excellence with participation of top chefs from India," Sethi said. "Then, on 16 August, Indian and New Zealand chefs will participate in a friendly Masterchef competition featuring a mystery box challenge," he said. "A panel of judges will select the dish of the day, recognising creativity and cross-cultural flavours." The organisers have also planned a cultural evening at Auckland's Dew Drop Events Centre on 16 August and at Hamilton's Waikato Indian Association Hall on 17 August. It will be led by one of India's top singers, Shibani Kashyap, and renowned Odissi (an Indian classical dance) danseuse Kavita Dwivedi. "Other inclusions will be a haka performance by Whiria Collective - honouring Maori traditions - as well as a fashion show featuring designers from New Zealand and India, and curated by Whiria Collective and India's CD Foundation," Sethi said. Whangarei District Council has also partnered with the Indian Consulate to host a business meeting and culinary showcase on 18 August in Whangarei. "This will be the final day of celebrations where we will host a networking event involving Indian and New Zealand business stakeholders, along with a culinary presentation by Indian chefs to celebrate food diplomacy," he said.
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
Why Ed Sheeran's return to New Zealand for Loop tour hits all the right notes
The tour announcement was made at a private media event in Sydney this week, held at the Lord Dudley Hotel in Paddington, which had been completely transformed into the 'Old Phone Pub' for the occasion – a nostalgic nod to the album's lead single. Complete with retro signage and classic British pub charm. The upcoming New Zealand shows promise all-new stage production, immersive visuals, and of course, those intimate acoustic moments that Sheeran does like no one else. It's been said that Play draws inspiration from Indian, Persian and Irish musical traditions. Somehow, that global influence makes perfect sense for an artist who's as comfortable on a stage in London as he is hiding out in little New Zealand. 'I love New Zealand,' Sheeran said to a pub full of music journalists. 'Every time I'm in New Zealand, I keep saying to my wife we should move here, and then we get back home and realise it's a long way from family. But I love touring New Zealand, and it's more of an excuse to be there for a month as well, rather than just be there for a weekend.' Sheeran's soft spot for New Zealand is no secret. He's called Wellington his favourite city, and over the years he's even slipped away here with his young family – without fuss. But there's something quite special about his return to Christchurch too, a full 11 years since he last played there. 'I remember the first time playing in Christchurch, just being excited that I was playing outside of the two major big cities – and I felt the same thing when we played Dunedin,' Sheeran recalled. 'I'm from a place like that, so it feels special when music tours go to places that aren't necessarily like the capital city.' The timing couldn't be better. Kiwis are hungry for live music, especially post-pandemic, and Sheeran remains one of the rare global artists who can fill a stadium while making it feel like a jam session in your lounge. There's no doubt that tickets will vanish quickly – and rightly so. It's hard to explain Sheeran's magic to anyone who hasn't witnessed it live. It's the way he loops himself into a one-man symphony. It's the awkward charm, the feeling that somehow, even from the back of Mt Smart, he's singing just to you. Despite the massive stages, chart-topping records and global fame, Sheeran still approaches music with the same sense of joy and humility that made him a star in the first place. That human connection. For him, success is only about doing what he loves, on his own terms. 'I think the biggest success that I've had in my life is doing a job that I love,' Sheeran said. 'Music is an enjoyable thing – it shouldn't ever feel like a job or a chore.' In a world that feels increasingly fragmented, Ed Sheeran's return to New Zealand feels like a reminder of what music can do: bring us together. And Kiwis have always shown up for Ed. Brin Rudkin travelled to Sydney courtesy of Frontier Touring. Ed Sheeran: The Loop Tour NZ Auckland - Friday, January 16 - Go Media Stadium Wellington - Wednesday, January 21 - Sky Stadium Christchurch - Saturday, January 24 - Apollo Projects Stadium Frontier Members can access presale tickets from Monday, July 28. Tickets go on sale to the general public from Tuesday, July 29. For full tour and ticket information, visit
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- NZ Herald
Jacob Rajan's acclaimed ‘Guru of Chai' back in Whangārei
Despite his parents' wishes, Jacob Rajan followed his own career path into theatre. Photo / Robert Catto Born to Indian parents but raised in New Zealand, he describes his childhood as a 'whole big melting pot' absorbing a mix of British and American TV shows such as Cheers and Friends, along with British and American music. 'I was supposed to be a doctor because I was the son of Indian parents and was rail-roaded toward science,' he says. Although he gained a university degree, he says he was a 'terrible' science student and by then had discovered theatre so his worried parents bundled him off to teacher's college. There, he could hone his artistic side into teaching musical instruments and painting. Rajan describes himself as painfully shy as a child but it was his tutor's encouragement to take part in a workshop in a half-mask that was his 'eureka moment'. 'As soon as I put that mask on, the shy kid disappeared and I felt liberated, so that became my mission – to bring mask to the main stage.' Jacob Rajan believes theatre induces the imagination of the audience, inviting them to connect with a child-like sense of play. Photo / Robert Catto He subsequently became the first Indian graduate of Wellington's national drama school, founded Indian Ink with Justin Lewis 30 years ago and, since then, has written 12 plays. 'My compass was always directing me toward the arts. By the time I wrote my first play, my parents were resigned to this path that I'd chosen and, funnily enough, it's worked out, I provide for my family,' he says. 'I love my culture and I draw from it and I proudly show that on the stage.' Guru of Chai has been described as a true showcase of Rajan's unparalleled talent as he stars as a buck-toothed Guru, dispensing dubious spiritual wisdom while channelling 17 characters, including a poet, policeman and seven sisters. Featuring just himself and composer David Ward, who performs the live soundtrack on stage, Guru of Chai was directed by Justin Lewis, who co-wrote the show with Rajan. Jacob Rajan's performance will often have the audience in both laughter and tears. Photo / Robert Catto It went on to win NZ Play of the Year with Ward winning Composer of the Year and Rajan taking out Actor of the Year. It was then picked up by an American agent, which 'opened up America for us and became our big break'. The production, which draws from a classic Indian fairy tale, blending Indian storytelling with Western theatrics, has since toured extensively, including to the US, Canada, India and Australia. Rajan explains the return of Guru of Chai has come about because Indian Ink performed a sequel to the show called Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream, which featured the same character but a different story. 'By the time we rolled that one out, there was a 10-year gap between the two and people had seen the second one but they hadn't seen the first one.' Guru of Chai features just Jacob Rajan and live music from composer David Ward. Photo / Robert Catto Rajan believes, unlike television, theatre encourages the audience to use their imaginations. 'I think theatre has its own magic source which is the imagination of the audience. The audience are being asked to imagine and think bigger than reality, the mask is larger than life so it's an invitation for the audience to connect with a child-like sense of play. Their imaginative power enables me to transport them to India. I'm just one guy but you will see an entire range of characters. 'There is a craft with being able to connect with the audience. It becomes a real communal act that's something you can't do with Netflix where you're just a voyeur but, with theatre, you're sharing the air and it's far more nourishing. You feel like you've had a real experience and that's what we intend to do. 'It will take away everything that's wrong with your life for one and a half hours.' Guru of Chai will be at Forum North on July 26 and 27. Tickets from Eventfinda.
