Latest news with #ChathamIslands
RNZ News
6 days ago
- RNZ News
Seven millenia visa in Chathams, plane offload and deportation threat
Robbie Lanauze, Nadja van Osch and their three children while they were living in Spain Photo: Supplied A Chatham Islands-bound family says their four-year immigration battle has left them in a "bureaucratic hamster wheel". New Zealander Robbie Lanauze and his Dutch wife Nadja van Osch have waited more than four years for her visa. The father-of-three, who was born on Pitt Island, said the first visa showed no criteria for when they had to arrive in the country. A second residence visa showed her visa would expire in the year 9999. She was then threatened with deportation and that was only resolved last week. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) admits the second residence visa was granted in error but maintains the first one correctly set out the visa information. The couple had been overseas and travelling before deciding they would settle in the Chathams with their three children, near to Lanauze's mother, brother and his family. "We'd wanted to build a house for quite a while and we had the land sorted. We had everything sorted, ready to go. We wanted to live in the Chathams and maybe partly in Indonesia as well. But everything's sort of been up in the air for the last few years to be very honest." Paperwork was hard to find as partnership residence visas need proof such as joint utility bills which they struggled to find, but eventually got the visa. "We sent this passport to London. It got verified, they sent it back. And we assumed that that was what was needed to activate the partners residence visa. We had the letter printed out to show that she was allowed in New Zealand. And then they said no, sorry, you're not allowed to board this flight because you don't have a visa." A screengrab of the visa granted through to the year 9999. Photo: Supplied They were told van Osch was three days past the date when the visa had to be used - 12 months after it was issued. They maintain they were never told that criteria, and there was a missing attachment in an email they were sent. RNZ has seen a copy of the email. "We did everything in our corner to adhere to the rules and regulations, but unfortunately it was, I'm guessing, a technical glitch or just a a clerical error of some description and we never got that information. "I'm just going to keep rattling everyone's cage and pull every trigger I can and just keep doing a song and dance until someone with authority can actually look at the case and go, 'OK, there was a mistake made, we never sent you that email attachment, this is a fault from our department and no fault of your own, sorry, here's your visa.' And then we can carry on our merry way." They were told to apply for a second or subsequent resident visa (SSRV) but that was also a mistake. "The lady on the phone explicitly said to us - I spoke to her in depth many, many times and I said look we want her to be able to work, live and study in New Zealand indefinitely, we have three children. We want to build a home and if we're going to put our money into a house in New Zealand, my wife needs to be able to confidently put her life savings into an investment in the island where she knows that she's not going to get kicked out of the country or her time will run short. "She said that the second and subsequent visa gave exactly all the same conditions and it meant the same thing, which we were like, OK, cool. We took her word for it, which was silly. We should have got it in writing." It looked on the face of it as though they had been given a permanent residence visa - for an unusually long period of time. "The visa said congratulations, you can work live and study in New Zealand until the year 9999 and I thought 'oh wow OK, no one's going to be around by then, but amazing. And we just thought it was just the way they do things. So we thought we had the same conditions and everything was sweet until we got a letter from immigration Resolutions saying that we are liable for deportation because of a clerical error." INZ has now quashed the threat of deportation, saying it made a mistake, but maintains it made no error with the first visa. "We understand that the possibility of deportation can be stressful, and we empathise with Ms van Osch and her family," said its acting director of visas Marcelle Foley. "We can confirm that Ms van Osch's deportation case was considered by a Delegated Decision Maker for the Minister of Immigration (DDM) this morning. The DDM has cancelled Ms van Osch's deportation liability, and a decision letter has been sent to Ms van Osch to notify her of this outcome." She became liable for deportation as her visa was granted 'in breach of immigration instructions'. Foley said her first residence visa granted in November 2022 clearly outlined the conditions of the visa including the latest date she could arrive, and its expiry two years later. It's left a bitter taste for Lanauze, who said a family-of-five was a major addition to the small Chathams community of 600, especially as his wife's skills as a therapist are in demand. "We've spent thousands on this. We just really do need to go back and hold them accountable for the first error, which was them not giving us the information about entering New Zealand within the 12 months. No-one looked at our case, we just seem to be knocking our heads against the wall and going around in circles and getting handballed from person to person. "I'm no stranger to paperwork in different countries, getting stuff translated, dealing with bureaucrats and all that sort of stuff, but I have to say, dealing with Immigration New Zealand has been an absolute nightmare. I don't want to like get too worked up about it, but I wish I could just walk in there and crack some heads."
Otago Daily Times
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
'Life's work': Museum on show for 30 years
When Gerald and Jason Rhodes bought 16 acres of land beside the Wānaka Airport 32 years ago, they had a vision much more imaginative than what could be seen of the barren block. While the father and son had large imaginations, they could not foresee the hangar full of aircraft, the cases full of Barbie dolls, the classic car collection of over 600, and a train set that could rival Sir Rod Stewart's. "Everything evolves and it starts somewhere but nothing ever stays still. Our idea was that it had to be able to evolve. We had an assortment of trucks, cars, aircraft and the toys grew very rapidly on the side," Jason Rhodes said. Jason Rhodes and his father Gerald began the large project in 1995. PHOTO: OLIVIA CALDWELL The National Transport and Toy Museum turns over the amount of customers in a few days what it did in a year when it first began. Mr Rhodes said they averaged about 45,000 people through their doors a year, but this needed to keep growing to cover costs. Gerald died over a decade ago, and Jason and daughter, Debbie Rhodes, continue the legacy and what has become the southern hemisphere's largest private collection open to the public. The museum started with 100 vehicles sourced from auctions, flea markets and private collections. They now have over 600. Add in a Chatham Islands plane, cars used on movies sets such as The World's Fastest Indian, bulldozers, and car brands dating back through the years. Gerald started his career with International Harvester and then went on to establish a car and truck wrecking business in Christchurch, meaning he was always in the right place to pick up new items for his collection. Wānaka was chosen as the home for the collection for the dry climate, which helps preserve the machinery. "He always wanted to do something and was involved in the airshow in the very first stages so he supplied a lot of the ground support and that sort of thing, so we based a section down here," Jason said. The museum has had its challenges; the global financial crisis and Covid-19 both sent it into dormant periods. The Wānaka Airport, owned by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, had not made the friendliest of neighbours at times, at least the bureaucratic strand of it, he said. "They have tried their hardest to move us on. We have become big enough and ugly enough that we are in the too hard basket nowadays. Moving a place like this, the building is the easy part, then you've got the objects. "The aircraft are large and machinery can be over 100 tonne a piece and then there are the hundreds and thousands of small pieces, that you have to package up, and rehouse - that wouldn't be a fun exercise." The museum opened to the public on December 26, 1995, and will officially turn 30 at the end of the year, although it has been under way for 32 years if you include preparing it for public. At that time, it was just the main building and Hangar 1, which was built to look like the aviation hangars used in the 1940s with authentic doors from Christchurch Airport. In April 2004, the Fire Station was added, followed in December 2005 by Hangar 2, to house military collectables, planes and motorbikes. Jason said the cabinetry and displays were often more expensive than the objects themselves, but you could not put a price on fun. "We have tried to source something for everyone, no matter where you come from, from what world and what age, genders. There is generally something that you will latch on to." He believed his father would be proud of the place it had become today, and the feedback it got. "His passion was enjoying seeing people enjoy things. "Talking to the people as they go out, a lot of people aren't sure what they are in for, but it is on the way out you get those conversations and that's the best part." Sister Debbie said her brother had inherited some of their father's tendencies. "He's got a love of hoarding; he's got dad's bug." Jason said he did not believe museums were a dying breed as the proof was the amount of money local and central government were willing to put into them. "It doesn't matter where you go around the world, museums are part of society, they show us where we are going and where we have come from." "It is my life's work. There is not a hell of a lot out there that would be this old in Wānaka."
Otago Daily Times
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
‘It is my life's work': National Transport and Toy Museum on show for 30 years
When Gerald and Jason Rhodes bought 16 acres of land beside the Wānaka Airport 32 years ago, they had a vision much more imaginative than what could be seen of the barren block. While the father and son had large imaginations, they could not foresee the hangar full of aircraft, the cases full of Barbie dolls, the classic car collection of over 600, and a train set that could rival Sir Rod Stewart's. "Everything evolves and it starts somewhere but nothing ever stays still. Our idea was that it had to be able to evolve. We had an assortment of trucks, cars, aircraft and the toys grew very rapidly on the side," Jason Rhodes said. The National Transport and Toy Museum turns over the amount of customers in a few days what it did in a year when it first began. Mr Rhodes said they averaged about 45,000 people through their doors a year, but this needed to keep growing to cover costs. Gerald died over a decade ago, and Jason and daughter, Debbie Rhodes, continue the legacy and what has become the southern hemisphere's largest private collection open to the public. The museum started with 100 vehicles sourced from auctions, flea markets and private collections. They now have over 600. Add in a Chatham Islands plane, cars used on movies sets such as The World's Fastest Indian, bulldozers, and car brands dating back through the years. Gerald started his career with International Harvester and then went on to establish a car and truck wrecking business in Christchurch, meaning he was always in the right place to pick up new items for his collection. Wānaka was chosen as the home for the collection for the dry climate, which helps preserve the machinery. "He always wanted to do something and was involved in the airshow in the very first stages so he supplied a lot of the ground support and that sort of thing, so we based a section down here," Jason said. The museum has had its challenges; the global financial crisis and Covid-19 both sent it into dormant periods. The Wānaka Airport, owned by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, had not made the friendliest of neighbours at times, at least the bureaucratic strand of it, he said. "They have tried their hardest to move us on. We have become big enough and ugly enough that we are in the too hard basket nowadays. Moving a place like this, the building is the easy part, then you've got the objects. "The aircraft are large and machinery can be over 100 tonne a piece and then there are the hundreds and thousands of small pieces, that you have to package up, and rehouse — that wouldn't be a fun exercise." The museum opened to the public on December 26, 1995, and will officially turn 30 at the end of the year, although it has been under way for 32 years if you include preparing it for public. At that time, it was just the main building and Hangar 1, which was built to look like the aviation hangars used in the 1940s with authentic doors from Christchurch Airport. In April 2004, the Fire Station was added, followed in December 2005 by Hangar 2, to house military collectables, planes and motorbikes. Jason said the cabinetry and displays were often more expensive than the objects themselves, but you could not put a price on fun. "We have tried to source something for everyone, no matter where you come from, from what world and what age, genders. There is generally something that you will latch on to." He believed his father would be proud of the place it had become today, and the feedback it got. "His passion was enjoying seeing people enjoy things. "Talking to the people as they go out, a lot of people aren't sure what they are in for, but it is on the way out you get those conversations and that's the best part." Sister Debbie said her brother had inherited some of their father's tendencies. "He's got a love of hoarding; he's got dad's bug." Jason said he did not believe museums were a dying breed as the proof was the amount of money local and central government were willing to put into them. "It doesn't matter where you go around the world, museums are part of society, they show us where we are going and where we have come from." "It is my life's work. There is not a hell of a lot out there that would be this old in Wānaka."
RNZ News
14-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Chatham Islands waka find detailed in new report
Rēkohu-Wharekauri-Chatham Island waka excavation site Photo: Supplied/Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage A new report has shed light on the potential origins of a partially excavated waka in the Chatham Islands. The report concluded the waka was of pre-European construction and likely from a time before significant cultural separation between Aotearoa and the Pacific. But questions around the exact age and size of the waka remain, and experts recommend the Chatham Island community be properly resourced to uncover the vast majority of the waka that remains buried in the sand. The report , He Waka Tipua , was prepared in May 2025 by an expert panel: Professor Sir Derek Lardelli, Kiwa Hammond, Heemi Eruera, Dr Kahutoi Te Kanawa and Dr Gerard O'Regan. It provided observations and insights on the potential provenance of the waka partially excavated on Rēkohu-Wharekauri. The panel visited Chatham Island in April, meeting with representatives from Hokotehi Moriori Trust and Moriori Imi Settlement Trust, representatives from Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri, as well as with Vince and Nikau Dix, who first discovered the waka. Pou Mataaho o Te Hononga Deputy Secretary Māori Crown Partnerships at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Glenis Philip-Barbara (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Uepōhatu) said they were only beginning to understand the significance of the waka based on the approximately 5 to 10 percent of it that has been recovered so far. "[It] gives us just an indication of how important it is, but not enough information to draw any reliable provenance theories. So we've got just enough to get our curiosity going but not enough to be able to tell the story." This was a story of human endeavour that had the potential to be something extraordinary for Rēkohu/Wharekauri to contribute to the world and what we think we know about human settlement, she said. "We are hugely curious to understand how we came to be in the places we are, so we've got just a little indication here and a very clear direction from the experts... that we need to recover the rest and get on with uncovering the rest of the story because there is more to come." Kiwa Hammond, the imi Moriori representative on the expert panel, described the waka as 'our Hawaikitanga' - an embodiment that tīpuna and karapuna carried for thousands of years as they migrated across the Pacific. "It really did challenge things that we as indigenous peoples of Te Moana Nui a Kiwa that we have accepted... but it also made us go, 'What is that? Why is that? Why is that there and what is it telling us?'" The rediscovery of the waka was of global significance because it will help us to better understand how the ancestors of Moriori operated, and exactly what went into them getting here, he said. "I mean let's be very clear - there was nothing accidental about any of their voyages," Hammon said. "The whole notion that people drifted from one location to another is a fallacy when you understand the scale of this enterprise and what was involved and what we've seen is a fraction of this waka." Hammond said it was a privilege to be able to look at the pieces of the waka and appreciate how much work and knowledge went into them. It helped the panel to appreciate just how much planning - not just weeks or months, but years - would have gone into the creation of this waka, he said. And Hammond believed it was quite likely the people who built the waka worked on more than one at a time and had whole production lines. "I liken them to a cruise liner, an ancient cruise liner, because when you consider that these waka could have anything up to 100 people, that's how big they were and I think that's something we don't quite comprehend. "As our tīpuna were traversing Te Moana Nui a Kiwa they were doing this on massive crafts, these were huge vessels." Dr Kahutoi Te Kanawa, Professor Sir Derek Lardelli and Nikau Dix at the creek near the excavation site. Photo: Supplied/Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage Based on what had been recovered to date, it was clear the Chatham Island waka was unique. The panel named it as a 'waka tuitui' - an old term for planked waka that had been stitched or lashed together. On the New Zealand mainland, the availability of large trees such as giant kauri and tōtara saw planked waka technology give way to the large single-hull dugouts that early European voyagers observed. Hammond said often there was a misconception around the type of technology and techniques that were used when constructing the ships that brought Moriori and Māori ancestors from the Pacific. "As they were travelling around different parts of the world they made use of resources that were there and they honed their knowledge, they honed their understanding of what was the best way of making use of the resources they had at hand." The planked waka was a kind of technology that had not been seen in Aotearoa for a very long time, he said. A plank of a stitched waka recovered from a swamp in Anaweka, north Westland, was the only fragment found in Aotearoa confidently identified as of a 'voyaging' waka until the Chatham Island find. Philip-Barbara said she was hugely grateful to the whānau of Wharekauri Station who discovered the waka, and who - with community on the island - poured their heart and soul into uncovering its story. "I'm in awe, quite excited but also feeling there is a burden of responsibility here that we have to work through." There was a day-to-day role in caring for what had been uncovered and the people of Rēkohu/Wharekauri continued to do that mahi on behalf of the entire country, she said. Hammond said it was very clear this find was a major kaupapa to the local community, and they need to be supported to see it through. "No matter who we spoke to they said, 'Look, if this is so significant then it needs to be supported.' The fact of the matter is it needs to be resourced." The panel recommended that "emphasis now should be on the urgent recovery of the remainder of the waka and ensuring the island is supported for its long-term care." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- Science
- RNZ News
Fossils and feathers - a visiting US palaeontologist
US palaeontologist Julia Clarke grew up wanting to be like the intrepid explorer, Indiana Jones. But instead of pursuing lost treasures, she's studied the evolution of birds and dinosaurs. She has led fossil finding expeditions all over the world including Rekohu, the Chatham Islands and Antarctica's Vega Island. The fossils she's discovered contain clues to what birds in the age of the dinosaur sounded like and their feathers. Julia Clarke, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, joins Kathryn to talk about her work on how modern birds evolved. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
