Auckland news: in case you missed it

If this email is not displayed correctly, [click here]( to view an online version. Grace Millane The man accused of murdering British backpacker [Grace Millane]( in December last year has gone on trial at the [High Court in Auckland](. Grace, 21, was [visiting New Zealand on her OE]( when she was reported missing on December 1, 2018. Her body was found in the Waitākere Ranges on December 9. Her parents, [David and Gillian Millane]( are in court to face her alleged killer, [who cannot be named](. The court heard [Grace died]( in the accused's apartment after they went on a Tinder date. The alleged killer denies a single murder charge, claiming Grace's death was an accident. On Thursday, the jury made up of [seven women and five men]( were shown a timeline of [Grace's last movements though a series of CCTV images](. The pair visited several Auckland bars and were seen kissing throughout the night, before making their way back to the CityLife hotel. The trial continues. Mt Wellington (Maungarei) was burnt overnight on Guy Fawkes night Guy Fawkes night on [Tuesday proved to be a busy one]( Auckland emergency services, with scrub fires on two different maunga (mountains) despite a fireworks safety message [issued by police](. The fires on Maungarei, Mt Wellington, and Maungawhau, Mt Eden, left large areas of grass scorched and prompted the Tūpuna Maunga Authority to close the maunga on November 5 in years to come. Authority chairman Paul Majurey said the fires caused significant harm to the iconic taonga, while councillor Josephine Bartley suggested it would ignite the same rage and hurt from the community as if someone were to set an ancestor on fire. The [fireworks are set to continue]( on Saturday, with a Guy Fawkes and Halloween fusion event at West Auckland's Trusts Arena at 5.30pm, and a display at Waiuku Rugby Park from 6pm. Chickens Hamilton man Steve Morrow found himself in a bit of a pickle when he [purchased 1000 chickens on TradeMe for $1.50]( when he only intended to purchase two. The auction said a small free-range egg farm based in Massey, West Auckland, was closing down and needed to be vacated the next day. The sale was for "one 1000" brown shaver and highline chickens of mixed age. Not wanting to let the birds down, Morrow took to social media to rehome his flock of 1000 chickens, managing to find homes for more than 700 with help from welfare group Animal Sanctuary. It was later revealed [the birds were likely to have diseases]( and so they could not be rehomed, after a man who purchased birds from the same flock last month got in touch saying a vet had found them to have lice, mites and tapeworms. The man later volunteered to look after the chickens while they were treated for diseases. Enjoying this email? [Check out Stuff's other daily and weekly newsletters](. Piha Beach Sixty Kiwis have died in [preventable drowning incidents so far this year]( – and summer is yet to start. The figure is up on this time last year, when there were 51 fatal preventable drownings, according to data from Water Safety New Zealand. In Auckland, the number of preventable drowning deaths up to November 1 this year had already exceeded last year's total. There are concerns the statistics are likely to rise even further as the weather gets warmer and more people flock to beaches and rivers to cool off. Surf Life Saving is now calling for people to swim at beaches patrolled by lifeguards to prevent more tragedies in the water. The call comes as New Zealand celebrates its first Water Safety Month, which began on October 18 and will run until November 23. City Rail Link construction site Angry Aucklanders have taken to social media to share their disappointment over the handling of the [City Rail Link open day free ticket ballot](. Ten thousand tickets to walk [600m through the tunnel from Britomart Station to Albert St]( beneath Queen St on November 17 became available on Wednesday. The free tickets proved to be hot property, with all 10,000 [snapped up in an hour](. However, Aucklanders were disappointed with the number of tickets available and called for more open days. "10,000? Really? They couldn't spread out the open days over two days or so to a larger number than 10,000?" one woman wrote on [Neighbourly](. CRL bosses told Stuff there were "no immediate plans" for a second walk through, as the site was still under construction. U2 Thousands of U2 fans will descend on Mt Smart Stadium this weekend as the [Irish rockers]( put on two Auckland shows for the [first time since 2010](. On Friday and Saturday, the gates will open from 5pm so eager fans can find a spot and settle in [before the concert begins](. The [concerts]( kick off the Australasian leg of the band's Joshua Tree tour, with special guest Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds playing as the opening act. Travel on trains, special event buses and Northern Express services is included with concert tickets. Special event buses will run from a temporary stop on Mayoral Drive behind Aotea Centre. Auckland Transport has also set up a dedicated space for taxi and ride share services at Station Rd. [Temporary parking restrictions]( and road closures around the stadium will be in place. You've received this email because you have opted in to receive Auckland news updates from Stuff Did a friend forward this to you? [Sign up to get Auckland News: In case you missed it]( to your inbox [Unsubscribe]( [Newsletter Settings]( [Privacy Policy]( [Advertise]( [Feedback](