This is for all of you digging your way out of the snowbanks...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4836000a19718.html?source=RSSthepress%2Flocalnews_20090203

Canterbury has baked in its hottest January for nearly quarter of a century.

It was the third-warmest January in Christchurch since records began in 1863 and the hottest since January 1985. The average daily maximum temperature of 24.7 degrees celsius was 2.4C higher than normal.

Culverden had the country's hottest daily highs, averaging 27.6C, 3.8C higher than normal while Cheviot had its hottest January in the 27 years records have been taken there, with a average daily high of 25.6C. The the 25.9C average daily maximum at Woodbury, near Geraldine, was the highest since measurements began in 1973.

The South Island's highest January temperature was 37C in Culverden on the 24th.

Christchurch had five days with maximum temperatures above 30C with the hottest on the 8th, peaking at 35.7C, making it the warmest January day in 30 years and the hottest day since March 1998.

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research climate scientist James Renwick said a moderate La Nina event, which usually brought more northerly winds, and a blocking area of high pressure east of the country were largely responsible for the warm month.

The "blocking high" directed a light northwesterly airstream over the South Island that became even warmer as it crossed the Southern Alps and blew across Canterbury.

Signs were La Nina would remain through autumn, with more warm and dry weather, before fizzling out, he said.

Our PM broke his arm recently and he's auctioning the cast on TradeMe (local ebay) and giving the money to a charity. He said in a interview that as the auction has now hit $10,000 and finishes on Sunday he is nervous that charities won't stop at just twisting his arm for money in the future. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Lifestyle/Other/auction-200719762.htm

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4835069a6160.html

Key's plaster cast in demand

It's blue, made of plaster and signed by a cast of several, including Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

And, apparently, worth at least $1200.

Prime Minister John Key has put the cast on his broken right arm up for sale on internet auction site Trade Me, with bidding hitting the $1000 mark within hours of yesterday's posting. By last night, the top bid had reached $1200.

Key broke his arm in two places when he fell from the stage at a Chinese New Year function in Auckland last month.

He announced he would sell the cast on Trade Me after Kiwi police posted to the regional assistance mission in the Solomon Islands suggested he auction it to raise cash for a local charity.

The proceeds will go to the Fred Hollows Foundation, which works in blindness prevention and estimates there are 5000 blind people in the Solomons and another 15,000 who suffer poor vision from cataracts or lack of spectacles.

Rudd and other Pacific Islands Forum leaders signed the cast at last week's summit in Port Moresby, and Key has promised to sign it before it is removed in two weeks.

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Here are some of the interesting questions of the auction

Will John swap it for a Holden Ute? Or a slightly-used socialist party?

No.

does the arm come with it?

No.

who is paying for the morning tea. John personally or me the taxpayer.

The morning tea will be John's personal shout.

Would John have a left arm cast made so there is a matching pair?

John has said he hopes this to be a one-off event.

If I was successful with this auction do I also have ownership and rights to any genetic material that may left inside the cast and the right to clone if I choose to?

You may have to negotiate with John's lawyers for that particular right.