TONIGHT ` MORE DISRUPTION FOR SCHOOLS LOOMS AS TEACHERS WARN OF A POSSIBLE NATIONAL WEEK OF STRIKE ACTION. UTTER DEVASTATION. THE SCALE OF DESTRUCTION AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI IS ONLY JUST BEING REVEALED IN INDONESIA AMID FEARS THE DEATH TOLL COULD BE IN THE THOUSANDS. AND THE RISING COST OF PETROL IS MOTIVATING MOTORISTS TO GO ELECTRIC, SO HOW DO THE NUMBERS STACK UP? CAPTIONS BY CATHERINE DE CHALAIN AND CHELSEA BRADY. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. A NATIONAL WEEK OF STRIKE ACTION BY TEACHERS IS LOOMING, FOLLOWING THEIR REJECTION OF A PAY OFFER. TEACHERS ARE EXPECTED TO VOTE FOR STRIKE ACTION IN THE FIRST WEEK OF THE NEW TERM, AND THAT COULD SEE ROLLING STRIKES NEXT MONTH. MICHAEL CROPP REPORTS. MORE THAN 30,000 TEACHING STAFF COULD WALK OFF THE JOB AGAIN NEXT MONTH, AFFECTING MORE THAN 500,000 SCHOOL CHILDREN JUST SIX WEEKS AFTER THEIR LAST STRIKE ` THEIR FIRST IN 24 YEARS. WE NEED A SIGNIFICANT PAY JOLT. IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE TIME TO TEACH AND THE TIME TO LEAD. TEACHERS WILL VOTE ON THE STRIKE IN A FORTNIGHT. IF THE ACTION IS APPROVED, ROLLING STRIKES WILL BEGIN, WITH EACH REGION STRIKING ONE DAY AT A TIME, BEGINNING WITH AUCKLAND. IT'S OUR KIDS THAT THIS ENDS UP BEING ALL ABOUT. SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MONEY. IT'S ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS FOR OUR CHILDREN IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. THE REJECTED PAY OFFER, TOTALLING $569M, EQUATES TO A SALARY INCREASE OF 9.3% OVER THREE YEARS. BUT THE PRIMARY TEACHERS UNION SAYS IT DIDN'T ADDRESS WORKLOAD, CLASS SIZES, OR RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES. THEY ALSO SAY THEY NEED A PAY JOLT TO RETAIN STAFF AND ATTRACT NEW TEACHERS. OUR TEACHERS WANT THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO DO THEIR JOB, WITH INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN ACROSS THEIR CLASSROOMS. THEY WANT AND NEED THAT TIME, AND THEY NEED THE SUPPORT TO WORK WITH THOSE CHILDREN WHO HAVE GOT CHALLENGING NEEDS OR LEARNING DIFFICULTIES. THEY'RE CRYING OUT FOR THAT. BUT THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION IS URGING TEACHERS TO VOTE NO ON THE STRIKE ACTION, SAYING IT AND THE GOVERNMENT IS STILL WORKING TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS AND WORKLOAD. THIS INCLUDES GETTING RID OF NATIONAL STANDARDS; PROVIDING MORE MONEY FOR MORE TEACHERS, INCLUDING BRINGING TEACHERS HOME FROM OVERSEAS; AND GETTING MORE FUNDING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WHO NEED EXTRA LEARNING SUPPORT. YES, THERE ARE SOME STEPS ON THE WAY, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH. WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THERE'S A CRISIS IN EDUCATION AT THE MOMENT. SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS THEY'VE GOT ARE IN THE DISTANCE. WE NEED SOME SUPPORT NOW. IF THIS STRIKE GOES AHEAD, EXPECT TEACHERS TO BE MARCHING ON THE STREETS AGAIN IN MID-NOVEMBER. MICHAEL CROPP, 1 NEWS. THE RACE IS ON TO FIND SURVIVORS AFTER INDONESIA'S POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI. MORE THAN 1200 PEOPLE HAVE DIED, AND THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO RISE FURTHER WITH HUNDREDS STILL TRAPPED UNDER RUBBLE. CHANNEL NINE'S SOPHIE WALSH REPORTS. A DRONE CAPTURES JUST A SNAPSHOT OF THE DESTRUCTION. A COASTAL NEIGHBOURHOOD IN CENTRAL SULAWESI WIPED OFF THE MAP BY A 6M-HIGH WALL OF WATER. THE WAVE ALSO LEFT THIS FISHING BOAT HIGH AND DRY, PITCHED INTO THE MAIN STREET TO BECOME A TRAFFIC HAZARD. PEOPLE MANOEUVRE AROUND IT, BUT THERE ARE MANY MORE OBSTACLES AHEAD OF THEM. (WATER RUSHES) WE'VE SEEN THE VISION OF THE TSUNAMI. (PEOPLE SHOUT) NOW AN ACCOUNT OF WHEN THE GROUND WAS ACTUALLY TORN APART BY THE 7.5-MAGNITUDE QUAKE. (MAN YELLS) A MAN RUNS TOWARDS HIS HOME, FEARING FOR HIS FAMILY, PRAYING IN HIS PANIC. ALLAH AKBAR! ALLAH AKBAR. ALLAH AKBAR! A BUILDING COLLAPSE AS ANOTHER FAMILY TRIES TO FIND SOMEWHERE SAFE. (RUMBLING) AND THIS IS WHAT THE PEOPLE RETURNED TO ` ROADS BROKEN AND BUCKLED. HOUSES AND CARS SWALLOWED UP WHEN THE GROUND SHOOK APART. PEOPLE ARE MISSING, AND WHERE AND HOW DO THEY BEGIN TO LOOK? THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I THINK RIGHT NOW IS ACCESS. A LOT OF AGENCIES LIKE OURSELVES STRUGGLING TO GET TO LOCATIONS THAT ARE MOST AFFECTED. MORE THAN 500,000 PEOPLE LIVE IN THE DISASTER ZONE. AND NO ONE IS WILLING TO PUT A FIGURE ON THE DEATH TOLL, BUT IT WILL BE IN THE THOUSANDS. THIS EIGHT-STOREY HOTEL IN PALU WAS A LANDMARK BUILDING. IT NOW LIES IN RUIN. BUT THERE IS HOPE. VOICES HAVE BEEN HEARD FROM THE RUBBLE AND THE SEARCH GOES ON. THIS GIRL (15) CHEATED DEATH, TRAPPED UNDER HER HOME, DROWNING FROM A LEAKING PIPE. HER MOTHER WAS KILLED. THE INDONESIAN PRESIDENT JOKO WIDODO IS ONCE AGAIN ON A MERCY MISSION IN A COUNTRY PRONE TO NATURAL DISASTERS. THEY NEED THE BASICS ` DRINKING WATER, FOOD, FUEL AND ELECTRICITY. WHILE THE AUTHORITIES PREPARE FOR A MASS BURIAL IN THE CITY PALU IN AN ATTEMPT TO STAVE OFF THE SPREAD OF DISEASE IN THE DEVASTATED REGION. LAST YEAR THEY WERE FIERCE FOES. THIS YEAR THEY'RE MORE THAN FRIENDS. DONALD TRUMP CLAIMS THAT HE AND KIM JONG UN HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE. When I did it, I was really being tough and so was he. We go back and forth and then we fell in love. No, really. He wrote me beautiful letters. They are great letters. We fell in love.. THE BIZARRE DECLARATION HAS CONCERNED DIPLOMATIC OFFICIALS WHO SAY THE DENUCLEARISATION TALKS WITH NORTH KOREA HAVE STALLED. THERE ARE CALLS FOR NEW ZEALAND'S REMAINING LARGE-SCALE CHILDREN'S CARE HOMES TO BE PHASED OUT. THE CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER ANDREW BECROFT SAYS THE INSTITUTES ARE HISTORICALLY KNOWN TO BE PLACES OF ABUSE. MEI HERON REPORTS. PAORA MOYLE WAS TAKEN INTO STATE CARE WHEN SHE WAS JUST 5, LIVING IN A GROUP HOME, AFTER HER FATHER ASKED THAT SHE AND HER TWO BROTHERS STAY TOGETHER. WE EXPERIENCED PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE. SHE'S ONE OF MANY WHO'VE BEEN THROUGH THE STATE SYSTEM, BUT NOW THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION THAT CHILDREN NO LONGER BE SENT TO LARGE-SCALE CARE AND PROTECTION RESIDENCES. WE KNOW THAT DOING THAT REALLY OFTEN REINFORCES THE BEHAVIOUR. IT'S HARD TO WORK WITH THEM INDIVIDUALLY, AND, HISTORICALLY, THESE HAVE BEEN THE SORTS OF PLACES WHERE THERE HAS BEEN ABUSE AND ILL-TREATMENT. ABOUT 80 CHILDREN ARE UNDER CONSTANT MONITORING IN FIVE LARGE-SCALE HOMES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, LIKE THIS ONE IN LOWER HUTT. CHILDREN ARE SENT THERE IF THEY'RE TOO DIFFICULT TO FIND HOMES FOR. WE AGREE WITH THE REPORT THAT SAYS THAT THESE RESIDENCES NEED TO BE PHASED OUT, AND CAN'T BE PART OF OUR FUTURE. THE ALTERNATIVE TO IS TO CREATE SMALL GROUP HOMES IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT PAORA SAYS THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THEY'LL BE ANY BETTER. WE HAD GROUP HOMES WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN. IT'S NOT CHANGED ANY. GROUP HOMES ` YOU'RE STILL SUSCEPTIBLE TO ABUSE. ANY ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE IN ANY OF OUR SETTINGS ARE MONITORED. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 6300 CHILDREN IN STATE CARE ` THE HIGHEST IT'S BEEN IN THREE DECADES. AND TWO-THIRDS OF THOSE CHILDREN ARE MAORI. THERE'S NEVER BEEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD THAT I KNOW OF WHERE AN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY HAS PROSPERED AND FLOURISHED WHEN THERE'S BEEN A COLONISING PROCESS. NOW, THAT'S A CONTROVERSIAL WORD ` COLONISING ` BUT THAT'S WHAT TOOK PLACE. MAORI, WHANAU, HAPU AND IWI ARE STILL BEING SEEN TO BE MAJORLY, UH, VIOLENT, CRIMINAL, DUMB AND LAZY, AND CAN'T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR CARE AND PROTECTION NEEDS. WIDESPREAD AGREEMENT TODAY FOR THAT TO CHANGE AND FOR IWI TO HAVE MORE POWER AND RESOURCES TO LOOK AFTER THEIR OWN. MEI HERON, 1 NEWS. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE 2013 DEATH OF CHRISTCHURCH WOMAN LIBBY MCKAY MAY SOON BE REOPENED. THIS AFTER NEW EVIDENCE WAS HANDED TO THE CHIEF CORONER TODAY BY THE MOTHER OF THE WOMAN WHO DIED. KAITLIN RUDDOCK EXPLAINS. PAULINE WEBBY HAS BEEN ON A FIVE-YEAR JOURNEY, SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH, SINCE HER DAUGHTER'S DEATH. NOW IT'S LEADING HER TO THE CHIEF CORONER. AT THE INQUEST HEARING, THE CORONER LEFT IT OPEN FOR ME TO FIND NEW EVIDENCE AND BRING IT BACK TO THE CORONER'S COURT FOR THEM TO REASSESS. THE MOTUEKA-BASED MOTHER FLEW UP TO AUCKLAND TODAY, CARRYING WITH HER AN EXPERT REPORT. AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE DELIVERED TO HER OFFICE IN PERSON SO I KNOW THAT IT'S GOT WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO. LIBBY MCKAY DIED IN 2013 OF A SERIOUS HEAD INJURY. POLICE AND THE CORONER ACCEPTED HER BOYFRIEND'S EXPLANATION ` SHE'D FALLEN FROM HIS CAR. BUT ANALYSIS BY AUSTRALIAN FORENSIC EXPERTS, REVEALED ON TVNZ'S SUNDAY PROGRAMME, FOUND THAT VERSION OF EVENTS 'UNTENABLE', AND FORENSIC TESTING OF HER CLOTHES FOUND NO EVIDENCE THEY'D HIT THE ROAD. I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE REOPENED FOR INVESTIGATION. THERE ARE QUESTIONS OVER THIS YOUNG WOMAN'S DEATH THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED. NELSON MP NICK SMITH HAS ASKED THE POLICE COMMISSIONER TO REOPEN THE CASE. MY PLEA TO THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE IS TO HEAR THE VOICE OF THIS FAMILY. THE DEATH OF THIS YOUNG WOMAN CANNOT BE EXPLAINED BY THE EVIDENCE THAT'S BEEN HEARD TO DATE. POLICE HAVE CONFIRMED TO 1 NEWS A REVIEW OF THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO MCKAY'S DEATH HAS BEEN HANDED OVER TO THE CHIEF CORONER, AT HER REQUEST. IT INCLUDES A RECONSTRUCTION NOT SEEN BY THE ORIGINAL CORONER, WHERE THE JACKET ON A CRASH DUMMY WAS SHREDDED. ULTIMATELY, POLICE SAY THE FINDINGS WEREN'T ABLE TO ESTABLISH CRIMINAL LIABILITY. I THINK ANOTHER IMPORTANT STEP HAS BEEN ACHIEVED ` THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT THE CHIEF CORONER SAYING SHE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT, AND I'VE HANDED IT OVER TO THE CHIEF CORONER'S OFFICE. SO IT JUST FEELS LIKE A PURPOSEFUL STEP. BOTH MS WEBBY AND POLICE ARE NOW WAITING ON THE CHIEF CORONER TO CARRY OUT A REVIEW. KAITLIN RUDDOCK, 1 NEWS. POLICE HAVE NAMED THE MOTHER AND HER TODDLER SON WHO WERE BOTH KILLED IN A TRACTOR ACCIDENT ON THEIR NORTH OTAGO FARM. NADINE TOMLINSON (33) AND HER SON ANGUS (3) DIED WHEN SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE TRACTOR SHE WAS DRIVING AND WENT INTO A RESERVOIR AT WAIHEMO. THE POLICE DIVE SQUAD RECOVERED THEIR BODIES. AT THE PUMP, SO WILL IT LEAD TO MORE CONSUMERS SWITCHING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES? LET'S LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. FOR A TYPICAL FAMILY CAR, TO TRAVEL 500KM IT'LL COST YOU NEARLY $97 TO FILL UP. THAT'S BASED ON THE CURRENT PRICE OF $2.45 A LITRE. FOR THE NISSAN LEAF, THE MOST POPULAR-SELLING ELECTRIC CAR, THE AA ESTIMATES IT'LL COST AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE JUST OVER $15 TO TRAVEL THE SAME DISTANCE. JOHN MCKENZIE HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THE SWITCH TO ELECTRIC. NOW, NOT EVERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE LOOKS LIKE THIS, BUT TAKE A CLOSER LOOK NEXT TIME YOU'RE OUT ON THE ROAD AS THE NUMBER OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES GROWS RAPIDLY. IT'S ABOUT 270% UP ON THIS TIME LAST YEAR. NEARLY 500 ELECTRIC VEHICLES WERE SOLD IN NEW ZEALAND OVER THE LAST YEAR, COMPARED TO 2015, WHEN IT WAS JUST 35. THE TREND IS NO SURPRISE, AS FUEL PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE. SO, THE HIGHER THE FUEL PRICE, MORE INTEREST IN EV'S, BECAUSE IF YOU RUN A PURE ELECTRIC VEHICLE, ITS EQUIVALENT FUEL PRICE IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND 40 CENTS A LITRE OF FUEL. ALISTAIR GILMOUR ADMITS HE GREW UP A PETROL HEAD, ALTHOUGH IT TOOK HIM JUST ONE RIDE IN AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE TO CONVERT HIM TO START SELLING THEM. IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE TO GET UP THAT FIRST STEP AND TO PURCHASE ONE, AND I GUESS A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT BOUGHT THEM INITIALLY ` THEY REALLY WERE PIONEERS. SEVERAL OF HIS FLEET HAVE ENDED UP IN BUSINESSES LIKE THE DUNEDIN CITY COUNCIL, WHOSE GOAL IS TO HAVE 20 ELECTRIC VEHICLES BY THE YEAR 2021. EVERY TIME WE REPLACE A CAR, THE FIRST THING WE LOOK AT IS ` 'CAN WE REPLACE THAT CAR WITH ELECTRIC?' AS POPULARITY SPREADS, SO DO THE RECHARGE STATIONS. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. YOU GO OUT, AND YOU USED TO NOT REALLY SEE THEM ANYWHERE, BUT NOW THERE'S A LEAF ON EVERY CORNER. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF US? HOW CLOSE ARE WE TO TRADING IN OUR FAVOURITE GAS GUZZLER FOR ONE OF THESE? THE PRICE OF PETROL IS GOING UP, AND I'VE GOT A BIG CAR, SO I'M LOOKING AT SOMETHING CHEAPER. IT'S NOT JUST THE PRICE THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE, OF COURSE. THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN TERMS OF RANGE AND SUPPLY. WITH NO ROAD USER CHARGES FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER THREE YEARS, AND WITH PETROL HIKES SHOWING NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN, THE POPULARITY OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES IS ONLY EXPECTED TO RISE. JOHN MCKENZIE, 1 NEWS. CUSTOMS TRAVELLERS WHO REFUSE TO SURRENDER PHONE AND COMPUTER PASSWORDS TO CUSTOMS OFFICIALS NOW FACE A $5000 FINE. KICKING IN TODAY, THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE ACT ALLOWS BORDER CONTROL TO PUNISH ANYONE REFUSING A SEARCH OF THEIR ELECTRONIC DEVICES. CUSTOMS MUST HAVE REASONABLE SUSPICION OF WRONGDOING IN ORDER TO DEMAND ACCESS, AND LAST YEAR CARRIED OUT MORE THAN 500 DIGITAL SEARCHES OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES. A MURI AKE I NGA WHAKATAIRANGA. A DRAMATIC RESCUE OF PASSENGERS OF A PLANE CRASH IN MICRONESIA. FOOTAGE EMERGES OF US NAVY SAILORS HELPING SURVIVORS FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AND LOVE 'EM OR HATE 'EM, IT'S FAREWELL TO THE FIRST-EVER $2 SHOP. THE ORIGINAL BARGAIN STORE CLOSES ITS DOORS. * NIGELLA LAWSON: Hello, dark-chocolate lovers. Here's the moment you've been waiting over 100 years for ` Andrew and Brian's new caramel filling... Mmm. ...surrounded by their 62% dark... AT LEAST ONE PERSON IS DEAD AND OVER 100 HAVE BEEN INJURED AFTER A POWERFUL TYPHOON BATTERED WESTERN JAPAN. TYPHOON TRAMI MADE LANDFALL WITH GUSTS OF UP TO 216KM/H. MILLIONS OF RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED EVACUATION ORDERS AND MORE THAN 750,000 HOMES HAVE LOST POWER. THE TYPHOON COMES LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER THE COUNTRY'S STRONGEST STORM IN 25 YEARS. DRAMATIC NEW VIDEO HAS EMERGED OF THE AFTERMATH OF A PLANE CRASH IN MICRONESIA. US NAVY SAILORS ARE SEEN JUMPING ONTO THE JETLINER'S WING, HELPING TO PULL PASSENGERS TO SAFETY. IT COMES AS AUTHORITIES NOW SAY NOT EVERYONE ON BOARD IS ACCOUNTED FOR. ABC'S ERIELLE RESHEF HAS THE UPDATE. TONIGHT, THIS DRAMATIC NEWLY-RELEASED VIDEO... HEY! ...A VIEW FROM U.S. SAILORS AS THEY CONDUCT A DARING SWEEP OF THIS PARTIALLY-SUBMERGED JETLINER. SEVERAL BOATS PULLING UP TO THE WINDOWS OF THE BOEING 737. WATCH AS THE NAVY DIVERS WADE ON TO THE WINGS, SEARCHING INSIDE THE AIR NEW GUINEA AIRCRAFT AS IT TAKES ON WATER. OFFICIALS SAY THE FLIGHT TO A MICRONESIAN ISLAND NEAR GUAM CAME DOWN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY FRIDAY, CRASHING INTO A LAGOON. WE CAME IN LOW. WE CAME IN VERY LOW. CRASHING INTO A LAGOON. WE CAME IN LOW. WE CAME IN VERY LOW. I THOUGHT WE LANDED HARD, UNTIL I LOOKED OVER AND SAW A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE PLANE AND WATER WAS COMING IN. AUTHORITIES INITIALLY SAID EVERYONE MADE IT OUT ALIVE, BUT TONIGHT FEARS THAT ONE MALE PASSENGER MAY BE MISSING. SEVEN OF THE 35 ON BOARD REPORTEDLY TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. I'M ALIVE. THAT'S AN EXTREMELY GOOD THING. AS YOU HEARD, ONE PERSON IS STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR WHILE AT LEAST FOUR OTHERS REMAIN IN HOSPITAL. INVESTIGATORS ARE YET TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE CRASH. NEW ZEALAND'S 50C COIN HAS HAD A SPECIAL MAKE OVER. A LIMITED EDITION VERSION HAS JUST BEEN RELEASED TO COMMEMORATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMISTICE DAY. THE ARMISTICE WAS SIGNED BY THE ALLIES AND GERMANY, ENDING WWI, ON NOVEMBER 11TH 1918. THE NEW COIN FEATURES A UNIQUELY KIWI DESIGN. THERE ARE THREE FERNS, WHICH REPRESENT TWO THINGS. ONE IS THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE, AND THE OTHER IS THE THREE ARMED FORCES THAT WE HAVE IN NEW ZEALAND. BEYOND THAT, YOU'VE GOT THE KORU TO REPRESENT NEW BEGINNINGS. TWO MILLION SPECIAL EDITION COINS WERE RELEASED TODAY, JOINING THE MORE THAN 100 MILLION OTHER 50C COINS ALREADY IN CIRCULATION. AFTER 24 YEARS, NEW ZEALAND'S VERY FIRST $2 SHOP IS CLOSING DOWN. THE NEW PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION FIRST OPENED IN 1994, JUST A FEW YEARS AFTER THE $2 NOTE WAS REPLACED BY A COIN. AS SEVEN SHARP'S CAROLYN ROBINSON REPORTS, THE OWNER OF THE STORE HAS NOW DECIDED TO CALL IT A DAY. # I NEED A DOLLAR, DOLLAR, # A DOLLAR, THAT'S WHAT I NEED. # HEY, HEY. # WELL, I NEED A DOLLAR, DOLLAR... # IT'S A RIGHT OF PASSAGE FOR THESE TARANAKI YOUNGSTERS ` SCHOOL HOLIDAYS HAVE HIT, SO IT'S TIME TO HIT THE MONEY BOX. HI! THREE FOR $1. YOU GOING FOR THREE? OWNER SANDRA ASHLEY IS TOO RUSHED OFF HER FEET TO SPEAK WITH US, BUT SHE SAYS IT'S TIME TO GO. COMPETITION, AND ALSO THE LEASE IS COMING UP. PLENTY OF LOYAL CUSTOMERS WILL MISS THEIR VISITS. I GET MY NAILS FROM HERE. WHAT AM I GONNA DO NOW? WE'VE GOT DOLLS AND TOYS AND... STUFF TO DRESS UP MY WOOD ART I MAKE. IT'S BEEN HERE A LONG TIME. IT'S BEEN PART OF NEW PLYMOUTH FOR A WHILE. THE VERY FIRST $2 SHOP DOORS OPENED 24 YEARS AGO. NOTHING IS ANYTHING OTHER THAN $2, AND THE PUBLIC HAVE GOT CERTAINTY. I JUST LIKE IT BECAUSE IT'S CHEAP. HARISH NARAN MANAGES 'MORE FOR LESS' IN AUCKLAND'S WESTFIELD MANUKAU. HE'S BEEN IN THE DOLLAR GAME FOR 13 YEARS, AND SAYS IT'S GETTING TOUGHER. OVER THE YEARS, THERE'S BEEN COST PRESSURES, SO THE $2 PRICE CEILING HAD TO GO. WE JUST CANNOT SURVIVE ON $2. MUM SAYS I'VE GOT TO CHOOSE ONE TOY. THE BEST PART ARE THE KIDS. HARISH SAYS A STORE VISIT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE THAN JUST A TREAT. THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN PARENTS COMING IN TO THE SHOP, AND YOU CAN SEE THEM TEACHING KIDS HOW TO SHOP, HOW TO HANDLE MONEY, AND, ABOVE ALL, MANNERS. AND HE TOO HAS LEARNED PLENTY ABOUT ANOTHER VIRTUE ` PATIENCE. THEY COME WITH THEIR LITTLE PACKS OF COINS THAT THEY'VE SAVED OVER THE WEEKS AND MONTHS, AND PLONK IT ON THE COUNTER, AND SAY 'MR, HERE IT IS!' AS FOR THE ORIGINAL... IT'S A SHAME THIS ONE IS CLOSING, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG. A BIT OF KIWIANA IS GONE FOR GOOD. THE NEW PLYMOUTH STORE WILL SHUT UP SHOP IN EARLY NOVEMBER, OR EARLIER, IF THEY RUN OUT OF STOCK. AND JUDGING BY TODAY'S QUEUES, IT WILL. I'D BET TWO BUCKS ON THAT. JUST AHEAD, YOUR WEATHER AND A TUMBLE DRYER OF FINE SPELLS AND SHOWERS. AND OPERATION HOMECOMING ` THE PEP RALLY WITH A BIG PAYOFF AND ONE MILITARY DAD'S BIG SURPRISE. WELCOME BACK. TO A STORY NOW ABOUT A HOMECOMING A YOUNG BOY IN AMERICA WILL NEVER FORGET. THE ABC'S TOM LLAMAS HAS THE HEART-WARMING STORY. AT FIRST, SIXTH-GRADER DAVID BEACH HAD NO IDEA THE PEP RALLY INSIDE HIS SCHOOL GYM WAS ALL ONE BIG SETUP. THE BAND WAS PLAYING, AND FOOTBALL PLAYERS LINED UP IN THE STANDS IN THEIR JERSEYS. BUT THEN THE PRINCIPAL ANNOUNCED A GUEST SPEAKER FROM THE ARMY, AND, SUDDENLY, CALLED ON DAVID. SO, DAVID BEACH, WOULD YOU COME HERE? THAT'S WHEN IT HIT HIM. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU... HIS DAD, WHO HE HASN'T SEEN IN NINE MONTHS, WAS BACK. SERGEANT FIRST CLASS KENNETH BEACH STORMING INTO THAT GYM AND LIFTING DAVID RIGHT OFF HIS FEET. THE EXCITEMENT JUST STARTED GOING THROUGH ME, AND I JUST COULDN'T WAIT TO GET TO MY SON. LIKE, I WANTED TO JUST GO FIND MY SON AND JUST HUG HIM. SERGEANT BEACH, A SINGLE DAD, WORKING WITH SCHOOL OFFICIALS TO MAKE THIS MOMENT UNFORGETTABLE FOR HIS SON. I LIKE TO SURPRISE HIM WITH FUN THINGS, JUST BECAUSE IT'S ME AND HIM. TODAY HE TOLD US WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO HOLD DAVID AFTER ALL THOSE MONTHS AWAY SERVING OUR COUNTRY. FOR ME, JUST BEING ABLE TO HOLD HIM AGAIN. JUST BEING ABLE TO SEE HIS SMILE AND HIS LAUGHTER, BEING HAPPY AND EXCITED THAT I'M HOME ` THAT MEANT THE WORLD TO ME. NOW TO TOMORROW'S WEATHER WITH BRADLEY COOPER AND LADY GAGA SINGING 'SHALLOW' FROM THE 'STAR IS BORN' SOUNDTRACK. THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. GOODNIGHT. CAPTIONS BY CATHERINE DE CHALAIN AND CHELSEA BRADY. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR.