News in brief

Boxing Day spending increases

Nelsonians spent $1.2 million on Boxing Day according to Worldline NZ. Their payment network recorded $67.7 million of spending for the day, excluding hospitality and food and liquor outlets. Nelson Tasman’s $1.2m spend was up 16.5 per cent on Boxing Day 2023. “This year spending was up across most Core Retail merchant groups, especially bookshops, clothing stores, hardware stores and sports equipment shops,” Worldline NZ’s chief sales officer, Bruce Proffit, says of the national spend. Between December 1 and 24, Nelson Tasman recorded a spend of $68.4 million, a 2.3 per cent increase on the previous year.

Originair connects Nelson with Taupō

Originair has announced the launch of a new air service for the airline connecting Taupō and Wellington, commencing on 17 February 2025. This new route follows the recent withdrawal of Sounds Air’s Wellington-Taupō service at the end of the year. The new service will mean flights from Nelson to Taupō will be available via a Wellington connection. Originair will utilise its 18-seat British Aerospace Jetstream aircraft on the new route. The service will operate initially on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays on a six-month trial basis.

Tākaka shopper wins $27k

A Tākaka shopper was one of 12 lucky Lotto players to win $27,198 with Lotto Second Division in Christmas Day’s Lotto draw. The winning ticket was sold at Fresh Choice Tākaka.

Snapchat founder’s superyacht visits Nelson

Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel’s luxury superyacht has been spotted in Tasman Bay. Two hundred-million-dollar US superyacht Bliss was seen anchored near the Boulder Bank over the weekend. The American billionaire’s private plane was seen on the tarmac at Wellington Airport on 28 December with his 95-metre-long yacht being spotted in the Marlborough Sounds the following day - and while there was no sign of the social messaging app mogul or his wife, Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr, staff were seen on board. Built in 2021, Bliss, which costs an estimated $20 million a year to run, can comfortably accommodate 14 passengers and 20 crew. Spiegel co-founded Snapchat with Bobby Murphy in 2011 while he was studying at Stanford University.

Ten years of Twisted

The Twisted Frequency Festival celebrated it’s 10th anniversary this year. The event in the Cobb Valley draws in roughly 3000 people for the five-day outdoor party. Organisers took to social media to thank eveyone after another successful year ringing in the new year. “We are so deeply proud of the way that the vibes have been curated and allowed to flourish and this was without a doubt the most phenomenal display of exactly what we want to see,” they shared.