Letters: Busting age-old myths, in defence of NZ Defence and good Samaritans

Bette Davis once said famously, “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.”

One of the greatest issues is loneliness, arising from loss of a partner, or illness of a partner, or simply by withdrawing from social activities.

My wife and I decided some years ago, when we were 72 and 70, to simplify our lives by moving to an apartment. To our surprise, we eventually found by chance (not by design) the perfect apartment in a retirement village in Meadowbank, which ticked most of our boxes. One of the best decisions we have ever made.

Some of our more cynical friends said, “Why do you want to live in a village with a lot of oldies?”

Our new circle of friends in the village are the most interesting people, with wonderful back stories.

Also, care services provided by the village go a long way in removing the stress of “what-ifs” and the uncertainty of age-related ill-health.

And most importantly, no one need ever be lonely living here. We are a happy bunch of oldies having fun in our later years.

But, as with any major decision in life, choose carefully and get good advice before taking the plunge.

Steve Clerk, Meadowbank.

Heart-warming stories

I must commend you for two excellent features in the Herald on Sunday last weekend.

The first is the touching and heart-warming story of Stephanie, who rescued a newborn baby from Oranga Tamariki and the child’s parents.

The child had suffered serious head injuries and drug exposure, and Stephanie obtained a court order to allow her to care for the infant at just 7 days old. Her actions clearly obviated further injury to the baby and probably saved its life.

The second story was about the rescue and restoration of the historic and venerable Mercury Theatre. Not by some opportunist investor in the arts, but by a local church. The theatre is well on the way to being returned to its former glory.

Anthony Mercer, Howick.

Shout out to Stephanie

A big shout out to Stephanie (Herald on Sunday) for telling it like it is and having the courage to remove a baby from an abusive environment.

However, unless we continue to remain angry, it is feared that agencies such as Oranga Tamariki will continue as per usual.

While it’s acknowledged that staff are dealing with some unbelievably difficult cases, sometimes it seems that the rights of adults come before the rights of the child.

Glennys Adams, Oneroa.

Field of dreams - and tradition

It was absolutely correct that Christchurch Boys’ High School chose to hold its traditional First XV fixture against Christ’s College at their number one field rather than play at Te Kaha, Christchurch’s new stadium.

This has been the venue for well over 130 years. Tradition, history and community spirit count for a lot in events like these and, while it might have been nice to have the match at the new stadium, the atmosphere generated would have been dissolved in stands that were designed to cater for thousands.

Old black-and-white photos show a school ground packed with enthusiastic supporters right on the sidelines with familiar school buildings looming in the background.

Also, there is a need to keep things in perspective for the present and continue to have events like these at the school ground, rather than suggesting that it has status beyond what it is intended.

Bernard Walker, Mt Maunganui.

In defence of NZ’s defence

I read the article “US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth slams New Zealand for ‘freeloading’ on defence”, and thought the United States is hardly a guide to sensible defence spending.

The Pentagon has yet to pass an audit, and its latest and greatest fighter-bomber, the F-35, has the reputation of being a hangar queen, spending most of its time in service being serviced.

But there’s an even worse reason why Hegseth should be chastised.

During Donald Trump’s first term of office, the largest US territory in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, endured a tropical hurricane and the Trump Administration did the very minimum to support its recovery. During 2025, there was a horrific flood event in Texas, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency was practically defunct – so the campers in that Texas valley never got timely warnings, and a lot of people died.

I think the more appropriate thing, rather than spending on specifically war-centred material, would be to organise the NZ Defence Force as the primary source of disaster aid for our Pacific neighbours because, as is chronicled in scientific journals, the oceans are heating up, and storm systems will be much fiercer in the future – and Trump is a climate change denier.

Wesley Parish, Tauranga.

Going nuclear

Defence Minister Chris Penk says it’s worth considering ending our nuclear-free stance.

Propose Exploring Nuclear Kiwis spells Penk. I thought I could smell the uranium on him.

Steve Russell, Hillcrest.

Hospital ‘exceptional’

I found your correspondent Kathryn Bailey’s comments about the supposedly dire state of Auckland Hospital most curious indeed.

I spent a week there recently in Ward 83 with side-trips to numerous associated departments and theatre, and can honestly say that nothing whatsoever seemed amiss, with cleanliness, hygiene and building maintenance – not to mention utmost professionalism from all staff and specialists – all of the highest calibre.

I feel our public health system is far too often unjustly maligned. For me at least, the experience proved exceptional indeed.

Peter Cook, Lynfield.