Aotearoa NZ 2025 Qtr 3
(Jul-Sep)
“In some ways I believe I epitomise the average New Zealander: I have modest abilities, I combine these with a good deal of determination, and I rather like to succeed.”
New discovery in Egypt may lead archaeologists to Cleopatra's tomb
The discovery of a sunken port off the coast of Egypt may offer a puzzle piece in the longstanding search for Cleopatra's lost tomb and glimpses into the country's ancient maritime activity, according to researchers. A team of underwater archaeologists uncovered rows of towering structures that may have been columns, reaching over six metres high, within the Mediterranean Sea.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 27.09.2025
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Baby koala rides golden retriever like a racehorse in south-west Victoria
When Steve Lamplough heard a commotion outside his south-west Victorian home, the last thing he expected to see was a koala riding his dog like a racehorse. Lamplough said he was in disbelief when his nine-year-old golden retriever Denni came bounding toward him with a baby koala clinging to her back. "It was quite amazing to see," he said. "Especially when [Denni] was running and [the koala] was bobbing up and down like a jockey."
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 26.09.2025
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'Exceptional result': Kiwi chicks make fight weight
Wellington's Capital Kiwi Project says all 10 chicks it has been monitoring have put on enough weight to fight off predators. At just 1.2kg, it said the chicks were big enough to send stoats packing. Around 200 kiwi lived in the Makara hills, south-west of Wellington city. In a post of social media, the Capital Kiwi Project said all monitored chicks made fight weight, with none lost to predation.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 30.09.2025
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Invercargill's oldest carved meeting house to be restored
Invercargill's oldest carved meeting house is being returned to its former glory. Invercargill City Council said the decorative wooden carvings at the 100-year-old Te Wharepuni o Anehana in Anderson Park would be removed and restored. Council parks and recreation manager Caroline Rain said the project would also repair structural damage to the building.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 30.09.2025
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First fluttering shearwater returns to Cape Farewell
The first fluttering shearwater has returned to Cape Farewell after being translocated from the Marlborough Sounds three years ago. The bird, named Yonga, was one of the first 50 fluttering shearwater, or pakahā, chicks translocated from Long Island in the Marlborough Sounds to the Wharariki Ecosanctuary in Golden Bay in early 2022. Once the birds fledge they spend three to six years at sea before returning to land to breed.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.09.2025
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Kārearea NZ falcon crowned 2025 Bird of the Year
The kārearea New Zealand falcon has taken out the top spot in the 20th anniversary Bird of the Year competition. The kārearea is a high-speed hunter which is at risk from habitat loss and predation. "It's been a privilege to champion such a remarkable manu, and we've loved seeing the public get behind it," said Caitlin Pieta from Auto Mossa, who managed the kārearea's campaign.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.09.2025
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'Just come and be in it' - 87-year-old community theatre director
June Renwick from Auckland's Selwyn Community Arts Theatre still gets "really excited" about seeing people discover their hidden performance talents. When she retired from teaching at Auckland's Selwyn College, June Renwick was determined to "get a community theatre happening". Now she directs and produces shows at the Selwyn Community Arts Theatre (SCAT).
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 28.09.2025
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New Zealand’s first Optimist yacht celebrates 50th birthday
When a little homemade yacht called Muffin first glided out on the waters of Lyttelton Harbour in September 1975, creator Paul Pritchett could not have imagined the waves it would make. The boat, an Optimist, was a tribute to late friend Clive Roberts - a champion sailor, who discovered the beginner-friendly yacht class overseas and wanted to introduce it to New Zealand.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 27.09.2025
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New battery recycling units launched in Lower Hutt trial
New high-tech battery recycling units are now available at three Lower Hutt locations, as part of a council-led trial. The units - fitted with heat sensors and fire suppression systems - aim to make it safer and easier for people to recycle household batteries. They can take common types like AA, AAA, lithium and rechargeable tool batteries - provided they are under five kilograms.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 27.09.2025
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Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 – in pictures
The winners of the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 have been revealed. The competition, presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain, showcases breathtaking images that celebrate the ocean’s beauty and highlight the urgent need to protect it.
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Source. theguardian.com, 25.09.2025
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Bike charities getting more people cycling as transport costs rise
Faced with rising household costs, people are turning to pedal power to save money on petrol and parking. Bike charities and loan schemes in Wellington are in demand, and the clientele is increasingly shifting towards middle class wage-earners looking for a cheaper, more planet-friendly mode of transport.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.09.2025
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Gene therapy treats Huntington's disease for first time
UniQure's experimental gene therapy for Huntington's disease slowed progression of the brain disorder by 75 percent in an early-to-mid stage study, the company said. Huntington's is a rare inherited brain disorder, which steadily worsens and typically leads to death 10 to 30 years after symptoms begin. There are no FDA-approved treatments for the condition.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.09.2025
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Rark up and mōrena added to Oxford English Dictionary
Rark up, sweet as and mōrena have made it into the pages of the Oxford English Dictionary. Eleven words of New Zealand or te reo Māori origin have been included as part of the dictionary's World English update, which also features Caribbean, East African, Welsh, and Manx (Isle of Man) revisions and additions. The Oxford University Press said the updates marked "a significant stride in tracking the growth of English vocabulary worldwide".
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.09.2025
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Booker Prize shortlist 2025: Six authors who spent 'decades honing their craft'
153 books were whittled down to six. Judge Sarah Jessica Parker described the process as "real agony". Kiran Desai’s epic novel of India and migration, 19 years in the writing, leads a Booker Prize shortlist which is long on established writers. The finalists for the Booker, one of the world’s most watched literary prizes, were announced in London earlier Wednesday morning (NZ time), with the judges whittling down their long list of 13 to just six novels.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 24.09.2025
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Bird of the Year is coming alive in song
Bird of the Year enthusiasts are in for a special treat that will have them singing for joy. The soon-to-be crowned 2025 Bird of the Year – where tens of thousands of people vote for their favourite native bird – will this year be celebrated with a waiata. The initiative is the brainchild of Davidson , who says he was inspired by wanting to reward the winner and partly by hearing singer Marlon Williams’ waiata ‘Hoiho’.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 24.09.2025
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Outward Bound pushes the age boundary with 60-plus course
Outward Bound is pushing the age boundary, with a new course aimed at those 60-plus. The not-for-profit specialises in personal and professional development, and building resilience by challenging people mentally and physically in the great outdoors of the Marlborough Sounds. It has been going since 1962, but it is the first time it has had an eight-day course for people who are 60 and beyond.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.09.2025
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Naseby locals secure Dark Sky designation for town
A group of Naseby locals keen to put their small town on the map as a place to view the stars have earned it official designation as a Dark Sky Community. DarkSky International said a tremendous amount of work went into achieving the certification. A group called Naseby Vision first began exploring the possibility of accreditation nearly ten years ago, it said.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.09.2025
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Hector McNeilly aims for LA Olympics after shooting to silver in world youth archery
Seventeen-year-old Hector McNeilly has carried a bow for as long as he can remember - now at just 17 he's claimed a historic silver medial in an international youth archery competition. McNeilly returned from the successful trip to the 2025 World Archery Youth Championships in Winnipeg, Canada last month. The Garin College student from Nelson won a silver medal in the men's under 18 compound bow.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 22.09.2025
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Country Life: Southland sheep farmer creates skincare product using strong wool
A Southland sheep farmer is channeling the adage "gentle as a lamb" in her new range of skincare products. Megan Seator started contemplating new uses for the strong wool produced by the family's Romney sheep when she was home on maternity leave. Wool prices were down as were meat prices. "As many people already know, wool is such an amazing product and there's already a lot of people out there doing quite cool things with wool.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.09.2025
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Sāmoan tenor takes the spotlight on the opera stage
When Sāmoan tenor Ipu Laga'aia first sang in church growing up, opera was not on his horizon. He also fronted a reggae band in high school before turning to classical training. Tonight [Friday], he takes the spotlight in Auckland for one of the final shows of his first lead role with New Zealand Opera, following performances in Wellington and Christchurch.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.09.2025
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Family makes nearly $100,000 after auctioning hundreds of vintage toy cars
The collection of hundreds of toy vehicles that was auctioned off has netted the original collector's family almost a $100,000. Dunedin's Proctors Auctions sold more than 740 lots of diecast vehicles during Sunday's auction. The auction attracted bids from across the globe. Auctioneer Ronnie Proctor told Morning Report the vehicles auctioned included models from the 1950s to the early-2000s.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 22.09.2025
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Rare stamp with upside-down picture of Lake Taupō sells for record $260,000
A New Zealand postage stamp has sold for $260,000 - the highest amount ever paid. The stamp dates back to 1903, featuring a misprinted picture of an upside-down Lake Taupō. A US buyer purchased it at a Mowbray Collectables auction. The last time it sold was in 1998, when it went to New Zealand Post for $125,000. It originally cost four pence. The stamp was last publicly displayed in 2005 at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.09.2025
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More than 300 birds translocated in record year for Save the Kiwi
A record year for Save the Kiwi has seen 324 birds translocated during the 2025 kiwi-handling season, and the conservation group hopes to broaden its reach in the year ahead. Its Kōhanga Kiwi and translocation strategy aims to supercharge the growth of viable, sustainable kiwi populations in suitable habitat across Aotearoa. Save the Kiwi helps create and bolster kiwi populations.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.09.2025
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Country Life: Whanganui couple turning harakeke into paper
There are many lessons in the pā harakeke, the place where New Zealand's distinctive flax is gathered. The first lesson: harakeke is not a flax, it's in fact a type of lily, Marty and Marilyn Vreede of Pakohe told Country Life. The Whanganui couple, a printmaker and te reo Māori teacher, have been making harakeke paper and teaching others to do the same for close to 30 years.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.09.2025
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Councillors vote to save Whanganui's Virginia Lake aviary
The future of Whanganui's Virginia Lake aviary has been secured after councillors voted to overturn closure plans and instead commit ongoing funding to keep the facility open. The decision - confirmed at a full council meeting on Tuesday - ends more than a year of uncertainty. Whanganui District Council confirmed it will cover the aviary's $60,000 annual running costs, reversing a 2024 decision.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.09.2025
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Graphic latex bodysuit inspired by ancient Japan wins top WOW Award
Judges said it was the "off-the-scale" intricacy and beauty of Tsukumogami that won American design pair Dawn Mostow and Ben Gould the 2025 Supreme WOW Award. A latex catsuit "that captivates the eye and refuses to let it go" has taken top honours in the 2025 World of WeareableArt (WOW) awards. The "off-the-scale" garment won Georgia-based latex fashion designer Dawn Mostow and her partner in life and creativity Ben Gould.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.09.2025
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Earth-like exoplanet could be habitable, and astronomers may know soon
Astronomers might be close to confirming the presence of an Earth-like atmosphere on an exoplanet for the first time, if more detailed analyses verify preliminary observations from the James Webb Space Telescope. The planet is part of a planetary system about 40 light-years away from Earth called TRAPPIST-1, which five Belgian astronomers discovered in 2016. The system has been heavily studied ever since.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.09.2025
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What do the best designed books look like?
A bold orange and green book celebrating women in art has taken out the PANZ Book Design Award. Artist Katie Kerr’s bold orange and green choice for a book celebrating women in art has seen her named the supreme winner of PANZ Book Design Awards. Sight Lines: Women and Art in Aotearoa, by Kirsty Baker, was awarded the Best Book and Best Illustrated Book gongs during a ceremony on Thursday evening in Auckland.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.09.2025
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Sculptures secured for wild and windy Art in the Park opening
Eden Park is hosting more than 3000 artworks, including 85 sculptures on the same grass the All Blacks play on. While winds across Auckland may whip over 35 kmh on Thursday, sculptures installed for Art in the Park won’t be flying anywhere, organisers promise. Art in the Park is an annual celebration bringing more than 3000 pieces from about 130 New Zealand artists to the hallowed grounds of Eden Park from Thursday night through to Sunday.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.09.2025
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The tenor singing soul at the World of WearableArts
NZ-born Samoan tenor Lila Junior Crichton will sing his soul music at the World of WearableArt in Wellington. When tenor Lila Crichton auditioned for Project Prima Volta (PPV) as a young teenager he thought he was auditioning for Shortland Street. “I was really into acting at the time. I was so excited that I might be in Shortland Street. And then I turned up and they asked me to sing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’… and then they sent me home.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.09.2025
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Words on the Street: Inside the role of a mobile librarian
Beyond literacy and reading pleasure, a mobile library helps those seeking social connections, self-reflection or even a bit of tech advice. Librarian Gabriel Davey’s van of changing books has all you could imagine. There's self-help book The Four Agreements, kids’ graphic novel series Dog Man and the biography of Kiwi writer, Paul Wood How To Escape From Prison (the most popular book in prison).
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.09.2025
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Wahine lawyer planting seeds for te reo Māori online
Angel Stewart (Ngāti Hauā,Te Arawa,Tainui), is a lawyer and content creator who has built a strong following online, but at the heart of her mahi is a deep commitment to te reo Māori and her whānau. Like many others, she is part of a resurgence of people reclaiming and protecting a taonga that was denied to previous generations, te reo Māori. Stewart grew up with what she calls "the very basic standard amount of reo" at home.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.09.2025
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Soaring ambitions: Wellington's circus school marks 20 years with big plans
Wellington's circus school has soaring ambitions after celebrating 20 years in business. The Circus Hub, which nearly closed during the pandemic, last week celebrated its 20-year anniversary and unveiled its plan for the next 10 years. The plan includes charitable initiatives to make the circus more accessible, an increased domestic and international presence, and culminates with plans to open the Aotearoa School of Circus.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 17.09.2025
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'Welcome of Spring': North Hagley Park's cherry trees burst into bloom
Cherry trees have burst into bloom in Christchurch's North Hagley Park, sending up dreamy clouds of pink and white blossoms in an annual Springtime spectacular. The path along Christchurch's popular corridor of cherries on Harper Avenue was bustling with walkers, cyclists, and families with prams on Tuesday, showered in delicate petals. Many of them came to take a photo with a beautiful floral backdrop.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 16.09.2025
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New local drama Tangata Pai serves primetime TV with 30 percent te reo
A homegrown series based in Ngāmotu Taranaki "shows how far we've come as storytellers" says one of its stars. The director of a new bilingual Kiwi TV drama with 30 percent te reo dialogue hopes the story will help people understand “a little bit more” about Aotearoa. Tangata Pai, which screens on Three and Three Now from 16 September, is an eight-part series.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.09.2025
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New Zealand one of just a handful of countries to see upcoming partial solar eclipse
New Zealand is in for another celestial treat next week with a partial solar eclipse which will only be visible for handful of countries. It comes only a couple of weeks after stargazers across Aotearoa were given a glimpse of a blood moon or total lunar eclipse. Next Monday, 22 September, a rare partial solar eclipse should be visible (weather permitting) in the early hours across the country.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.09.2025
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SpaceX rocket carries Lower Hutt-built experiment to ISS
One small step for SpaceX, one giant leap for space propulsion dreams in New Zealand. One of Elon Musk's Falcon 9 rockets, bearing a first-ever experiment built in Lower Hutt, has lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The experiment, called Hēki, will be attached to the outside of the International Space Station (ISS), a first for this country. Scores of scientists and others watched the launch on a screen at a Victoria University.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.09.2025
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81-year-old fitness instructor cannot be stopped
Through five pregnancies, breast cancer and now into her 80s, Paula Barrett says it's never too late to start looking after your mind and body. Christchurch fitness instructor Paula Barrett's limbs may now be a bit too "old and creaky" to enjoy her Irish dancing hobby, but it's no barrier for her. The 81-year-old still lifts wheelbarrows and chainsaws to help with local tree logging in bush near where she lives and leads fitness classes four times a week.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.09.2025
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Listen up: why listening to stories still matters for kids of all ages
Taranaki author David Hill looks back on RNZ's proud tradition of sharing stories for little listeners. A weekday evening in the mid-1980s. I was teaching a night class at Inglewood High School in Taranaki. ''How to Write For Kids'' I'd called it in my arrogance, so it served me right that I'd recently received a gently-phrased rejection from The School Journal.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.09.2025
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Te Wiki o te Reo Māori celebrates 50 years
Sunday marked the start of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori &, this year, the kaupapa celebrates its 50th anniversary. Aotearoa celebrated its first Māori Language Day in 1972, following a petition signed by more than 30,000 people calling for te reo Māori to be taught in schools. By 1975, the day had grown into a week-long event, & since then Te Wiki o te reo Māori has become one of the most recognised public celebrations & nationwide movements in NZ.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.09.2025
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RNZ Rainbow Warrior podcast wins second major international award
An RNZ podcast that details the last journey of Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior before it was bombed in Auckland in 1985 has won its second major award in less than two weeks. The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior, a co-production between RNZ and the ABC, was named Best Podcast at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Prizes ceremony in Mongolia on Sunday.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.09.2025
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Class cellphone bans improve grades, study finds
A new study has found "strong causal evidence" that banning phones improves results in the classroom. The large-scale study, which has been hailed as groundbreaking by adolescent development experts, is from the US, where 35 states now ban cellphones in schools. Study lead Professor Alp Sungu from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School also found that bans created an environment more conducive to learning.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.09.2025
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Bird of the Year: Voting begins today
Voting has opened for the highly anticipated Bird of the Year - but will it fall fowl to hijacking? Allegiances have already formed in the much-hyped and often controversial election - where people vote for their favourite native bird - with a group of 25 backing the kiwi to win the competition's 20th year. But according to Forest and Bird chief executive Nicola Toki, there is no such thing as bad publicity. "There's always controversy in Bird of the Year.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.09.2025
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Taiaha lessons: 'It teaches you to be humble, it teaches you to be resistant'
Traditional Māori martial art classes in Hawke's Bay are seeing a surge in demand with numbers more than tripling in the past year, especially for wahine. Established by Mongrel Mob life member Johnny Nepe Apatu, about 150 Māori and Pakeha aged from 6 years old to over 60 are picking up the taiaha to learn mau rākau. The 70 year old local is the driving force behind mau rākau's revitilisation, & is passionate about inspiring younger generations.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.09.2025
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New Teacher Bonding Scheme boosts recruitment for rural schools
Schools struggling to recruit teachers are will benefit from a new $7.5 million Teacher Bonding Scheme, announced by Education Minister Erica Stanford on Friday. The scheme will replace the Voluntary Bonding Scheme and the BeTTER Jobs Programme, which will end on 5 October. Association president and Tauranga's Ōropi School principal Andrew King said the changes were "a huge win" for rural, isolated and small schools.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.09.2025
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Cultural markers along trail recount iwi’s history
A Portobello teen says it is "pretty cool" to see local iwi past brought to life on his doorstep. Ten tohu whenua (cultural markers) have been installed along Te Aka Ōtākou, the walking and cycling path that follows Otago Harbour's edge from Portobello to Port Chalmers. The markers tell stories about important landmarks and provide insight into the "rich and layered" Kāi Tahu history and world view - similar to the tohu whenua in George St.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.09.2025
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After WOWing us for 30 years, Fifi Colston is clearing her creative calendar
Although she's stepping away from the World of Wearable Art Awards after this year, Wellington designer Fifi Colston will help her friends as a "stitch bitch". On 19 September, Fifi Colston will farewell the WOW Awards with a big, ocean-inspired bang. The next day, the Wellington creative will head to Europe for the first time in over 20 years, although she won't "put up a million photos on Facebook".
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.09.2025
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Country Life: The young entrepreneur lacing up a future for NZ wool
t started as a university project and has turned into a commercial venture sourcing strong wool directly from New Zealand farmers and using vegetable-based dyes. Jacob Smith's mission has been to add value to the fibre which is coarser than fashion-friendly merino wool but makes up 80 percent of New Zealand's wool clip. It has struggled to find a market amid the rising use of synthetics.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.09.2025
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Country Life: Mud, muck and merinos - 600 stellar stories from Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Many of Cosmo Kentish-Barnes' 600-plus stories have started with a cup of tea. The veteran Country Life producer is hanging up his gumboots after 17 years recording rural life for RNZ's rural feature show and podcast. From tailing to tupping, poultry to pigs and devastating floods to catastrophic earthquakes, there aren't many sounds of rural life that have escaped his two microphones.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.09.2025
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British woman among crew training for Mars simulation mission
Laura Marie is one of six research volunteers preparing to spend 378 days inside Nasa’s Mars Dune Alpha in Houston. It sounds like the premise of a new reality show: take four strangers, isolate them in a 3D-printed Martian habitat for more than a year, and watch them tackle equipment failures, communication delays and attempts to grow vegetables. In fact, it is a scientific simulation.
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Source. theguardian.com, 13.09.2025
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Who are you excited to see at Splore 2026?
For DJ and music producer Half Queen - co-curator of this year's festival - it's Jamaican dancehall queen Sister Nancy. Because it's hosted with such care, manakitanga and intention, Splore is unlike any other festival experience, says Half Queen. Because she's attended & played many times, the international DJ felt clear on the "general kaupapa" required for the acts performing at Auckland's Tāpapakanga Regional Park on February 20-22.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.09.2025
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'It was beautiful to see the friendships growing'
A new book celebrates the friendships formed between a group of school children and residents of an Auckland rest home. A multitude of stories can be held in the humblest of objects, says author David Riley. That's the idea behind his book, Silent Witnesses, a collaboration in which rest home residents shared treasured objects with children from the local school, The Gardens School, Manurewa, sparking conversations and friendships.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.09.2025
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Greater Wellington Council fencing off thousands of hectares to protect forest
The Greater Wellington Regional Council are fencing off thousands of hectares of land to protect a "special forest" from deer, goats and pigs. In the hills to the east of Wainuiomata lays 7400 hectares of native forest that has never been cut down due to its proximity to Wellington's source of water. While the forest is home to native trees such as rata and rimu there was a problem hiding under the branches.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.09.2025
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Martian rock contains ‘clearest sign’ yet of ancient life on Mars, NASA says
Scientists believe intriguing leopard spots on a rock sampled by the Perseverance rover on Mars last year may have potentially been made by ancient life, NASA announced. The team has also published a peer-reviewed paper in the journal Nature about the new analysis, though they say further study is needed.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 11.09.2025
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Marlon Williams scores two top Silver Scrolls finalist spots
APRA has named the five finalist songs for the Silver Scroll Award as well as the top three waiata in line for the Maioha Award. Indie folk singer Marlon Williams’ 1960s-inspired ‘Aua Atu Rā’ and kapa haka waiata ‘Korero Māori’ are finalists of the APRA Silver Scroll and Tohu Maioha awards. The songs are from his fourth studio album, Te Whare Tīwekaweka, which was the catalyst for the Lyttelton songwriter to reconnect with his whakapapa.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 11.09.2025
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Our Changing World: Playing ‘I-spy’ with urban emissions
If you've spotted a white van cruising around Wellington or the Hutt Valley with strange instruments sticking out of its roof, you might have seen New Zealand's newest tool in tackling our urban emissions. The 'CarbonWatch - Urban mobile greenhouse gas measurement lab' is designed to detect gases in real time. Outfitted with high-tech equipment, the van monitors carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide and black carbon on the move.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 09.09.2025
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New trains on way for lower North Island: 'This is a game-changer'
Train services in the lower North Island are on track to double peak-time services within five years, with a multi-million dollar deal to deliver 18 new battery electric trains for the region. Wellington Regional Leadership Committee (WRLC) chair Darrin Apanui said the new Tūhono fleet - which begin arriving in 2028 - would unlock faster, more frequent, & more reliable services, connecting communities from Masterton and Palmerston North to Wellington.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.09.2025
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The right note: An orchestra nurturing rural youth
Cellist, composer and teacher Caitlin Morris, along with her husband, Andrew Atkins, a pianist, conductor and teacher, found Kahutara in the South Wairarapa to be the perfect place to call home. Now, as co-founders of the Wairarapa Youth Orchestra, they are nurturing a new generation of musicians. Caitlin spoke to Felicity Connell and photographer Sarah Tansy for [www.shepherdess.co.nz Shepherdess magazine].
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 07.09.2025
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Jay Epae: Aotearoa's secret Scandinavian star
In 1961, a singer from the small Taranaki town of Manaia had a number one hit in Sweden with a song sung largely in te reo, but few people in New Zealand heard this record at the time, or knew anything about the singer’s success. His name was Jay Epae, and until now, his has been one of the great untold stories of New Zealand pop. A new compilation album goes a long way to rectifying that.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.09.2025
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Building a farming legacy - a matriarch reflects
Rosie Cartwright is no stranger to hard work. The mother of four and grandmother of seven - soon to be eight - is up at the crack of dawn each day to milk a 500-strong herd of Jersey cows alongside Robert, her husband of forty years. She reflects on what it takes to build a farming legacy while living and working side by side with family. She spoke to Jacqueline Forster, with photographs by Michelle Porter of Shepherdess magazine.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 07.09.2025
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Is this New Zealand's oldest book club?
Book clubs are as much about socialising as they are about a love of literature. One woman, who has been a member of the same club for 50 years, says the key to success is loyalty and respect for other’s views. Annette Hill can vividly remember the first meeting of her book group in 1975. She was 35, a primary school teacher with three young children, living just outside Christchurch.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.09.2025
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Fiordland Penguin chick 'thriving' at Sydney's Taronga Zoo
A six-week-old Fiordland Penguin chick is in perfect health and "thriving" at Sydney's Taronga Zoo. The bird was born to experienced parents Munro and Moeraki, and keepers believed it could be a boy. Senior keeper Lindsay Wright said the new chick was doing well. The zoo was still considering names, but wanted to name the chick after a place in New Zealand. The Fiordland Penguin is listed as 'near threatened'.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.09.2025
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Watch: Māori Queen gives first national address
The Māori Queen has broken her year-long public silence following the death of her father Kiingi Tuheitia. Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po addressed the crowd at Koroneihana and said Māori was not defined by having an enemy to overcome. She was visibly emotional as she spoke of her father during the speech while launching two projects she said had been dear to him.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.09.2025
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Country Life: Backyard builders in Te Horo take on predators to help birdlife
From tiny, smell-of-an-oily-rag neighbourhood schemes to large country-wide corporate-funded ventures, New Zealand has hundreds, if not thousands, of conservation projects doing their bit to get rid of pests around Aotearoa. Country Life dropped in on some backyard builders at a garage in Te Horo, north of Wellington, to find out about the Predator-Free Te Horo project.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.09.2025
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Where and how to catch a glimpse of the total lunar eclipse, or 'blood moon'
If you look up to the sky early on Monday morning you may be greeted by a red hue over the moon. The blood moon, or total lunar eclipse, will be visible across New Zealand on 8 September - for those of us up early enough to see it. A blood moon happened when the moon passed through the earth's shadow, called the penumbra, creating a "red hue" - hence the name.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.09.2025
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Whitebait season: Annual hunt for 'white gold' underway
For many in Taranaki and Waikato that means a trek to the Mōkau and Awakino awa, where whitebait stands change hands for tens of thousands of dollars. Whitebaiters have begun their annual pilgrimage to the nation's tidal rivers and streams this week as the two-month-long season for the elusive "white gold" starts.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.09.2025
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New home, playground, pool for Sara Cohen Specialist School in Dunedin
A Dunedin specialist school has officially opened in its long-awaited new home, promising to also be a boon for the wider intellectually disabled community. Te Whirika Sara Cohen Specialist School welcomed students, staff and guests to the new Riselaw Road site with song and speeches on Thursday morning. The school included a hydro-therapy pool, an accessible and secure playground, a wheelchair swing, and a sensory room.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.09.2025
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More Silver Scroll Finalists Announced
Nominees for SOUNZ Contemporary Award, and awards for original music for film and TV series were revealed. Some of New Zealand’s top-tier songwriters have snagged nominations for this year’s Silver Scroll Awards, the nation’s annual nod to the best songs of the year. The string of nominations announced on Wednesday included those in the running for the SOUNZ Contemporary Award.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.09.2025
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Pākiri locals celebrate an end to sand mining
After decades of fighting, Pākiri locals are pleased to see an end to offshore sand mining and say its beaches can now "heal". Damon Clapshaw was one of the many parties involved in court action against mining company McCallum Bros. He said the win brought many emotions. "Disbelief, contentedness, appreciation, pride. It feels like the end of the reign of the white witch at Narnia."
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.09.2025
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Māori wooden carvings at Australian museum repatriated to Aotearoa
They depict Māori ancestors, they have been described as cultural treasures, they are made from wood and shell - and they are now returning home after more than a century overseas. Two pou - ornate carvings - that have been in the South Australian Museum's collection for more than 130 years are now destined for New Zealand after a ceremony in Adelaide on Tuesday.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.09.2025
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Split Enz will reform for Electric Avenue festival
The iconic New Zealand band will perform together for the first time in almost 20 years for the Hagley Park party. The lineup for next year’s Electric Avenue music festival has been revealed, with one of New Zealand’s most fabled acts set to reunite for the first time in almost 20 years. Split Enz has been confirmed as one of the headliners for the two-day event at Christchurch’s Hagley Park on 27-28 February.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.09.2025
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How a lost diary at Lake Tekapo sparked an ongoing treasure hunt
A steady stream of visitors has been seen combing the shoreline of Lake Tekapo since February in search of a mysterious package that has become a viral phenomenon. Scouring the rocky landscape near the Church of the Good Shepherd, the visitors are trying to find a bag containing at least eight unofficial guestbooks.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.09.2025
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'Wood-fire breads - nothing beats that'
Bread is baked into Turkish culinary culture and Zeki's Bakery in West Auckland is spreading that tradition across the region. Mustafa Suphi is up from 4am every day, facing the sweltering heat of 350 degrees Celsius. It reminds the Zeki’s Bakery co-owner of his hometown in Izmir, Turkey, where every morning he’d open his father’s shop to the smell of fresh bread. “Bread is an important part of daily food in Turkey,” says Anil, son of co-owner Yusuf Özbal.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.09.2025
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Our Changing World: Backcountry takahē make a comeback
In Shelter Rock Hut,near the head of the Rees Valley, the visitor book comment section is sprinkled with excited notes about bird sightings. Twice believed to be extinct, takahē, the ultimate comeback bird, are now being spotted in the wild by backcountry trampers in the upper Whakatipu. It was 1948 when takahē were rediscovered for the second time by Dr Geoffrey Orbell's party in the remote Murchison Mountains.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 01.09.2025
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What they wore to Karen Walker's sporty return to Fashion Week
Sport and fashion have been in a de facto relationship for decades, so Thursday night at New Zealand Fashion Week in Auckland felt like a wedding ceremony between the two lovers. Karen Walker, making a return to New Zealand Fashion Week after a ten-year absence, brought joy to the packed house in her collaboration with Adidas. Walker paired her typical mashup of boho elegance and masculine street style.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.08.2025
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New Plymouth's Len Lye Centre reflected in music to celebrate 10th anniversay
The concrete and shimmering steel curves of New Plymouth's Len Lye Centre will be reflected in music on Saturday, when the NZ Symphony Orchestra plays a new work capturing the spirit and form of the gallery to mark its 10th anniversary. Australian artist and composer Mia Salsjö has created Score for the Len Lye Centre in response to the striking building, and as a tribute to the New Zealand artist famed for his experimental films and kinetic artworks.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.08.2025
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Dunedin comes alive to the sound of music as choirs converge for The Big Sing
Fine-voiced high school students will be singing their hearts out in Aotearoa's largest choral contest this weekend. Nearly a thousand choir singers are converging on Dunedin as the Big Sing competition reaches its crescendo. More than 8000 students from 200 secondary school choirs have pitched for a position in Aotearoa's biggest choral singing event, made famous in the hit movie Tinā. The top 24 will compete for gold, silver and bronze awards.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 28.08.2025
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Mt Cook Ski Planes celebrates 70 years above the ice
Kiwi pilot Sir Harry Wigley pulled off a daring landing on the Tasman Glacier in 1955, deploying homemade retractable skis below his Auster Aiglet plane to slide to a stop on the glittering mass of snow and ice. It was the first ski-plane landing in the Southern Hemisphere. Seventy years later, Mt Cook Ski Planes and Helicopters pilot Angus Ford said it was a thrill to follow in Wigley's snowy tracks.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 01.09.2025
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TV crew discovers two missing shipwrecks off West Australian coast
A pair of shipwrecks lost for more than a century have been discovered off Western Australia's coast. Crews of television show Shipwreck Hunters Australia found the Rodondo, a passenger ship, and the Langstone, a Norwegian merchant vessel, off the coast of Esperance and Cape Naturaliste respectively. "This is something that's been hidden away by the ocean for over 100 years and now we can bring it back to life," he said.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 27.08.2025
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Young NZ organ player scores world class opportunity
The 18-year-old had no idea of his family's link to the organ before he secured the scholarship at one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. Sea-am Thompson comes from a long line of musicians who’ve rubbed shoulders with big names, including a great uncle who composed the music for Sir Edmund Hillary's wedding. But the 18-year-old had no idea of his ancestry's link to the organ before he secured a scholarship.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 31.08.2025
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'Symbol of success': Wellington organisations back kiwi for Bird of the Year
Organisations across Wellington are backing a campaign for the kiwi to win Bird of the Year in the competition's 20th year. Zealandia wildlife sanctuary, Wētā Workshop, The Royal NZ Ballet, Wellington Phoenix, Te Papa, and Capital Kiwi are among 25 institutions and groups in the capital supporting the kiwi. Zealandia chief executive Danielle Shanahan said kiwi pukupuku - the little spotted kiwi - is at the forefront of the campaign.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 31.08.2025
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Country Life: Aussie brewers and scientists partner to cut beer and livestock emissions
Researchers across the ditch are making good progress in their efforts to reduce emissions created from the brewing process, while also creating benefits for livestock. For the past seven years, brewers from Australia's Young Henrys have been working with a team from University of Technology Sydney to remove carbon dioxide from the beer brewing process through growing algae which absorbs it.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 30.08.2025
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Country Life: Could old-school tools change how we garden?
The old-fashioned scythe, in the clutches of the Grim Reaper, may have dark undertones for some, but for Coromandel woman Beth Pearsall, it's practical, easy to use and a peaceful way to maintain her orchard. Unlike modern-day mowers and weedeaters, it has no numbing vibrations or sputtering fumes and almost helps her meditate as she swings it over the weeds, she told Country Life.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 30.08.2025
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'Jaw-droppingly weird' dinosaur from Morocco was studded with spikes
Around 165 million years ago on a coastal floodplain in what is now Morocco lived one of the most extreme dinosaurs on record, lavishly adorned with armour and spikes - some about three feet long - unlike that of any other known creature. Researchers on Wednesday described extensive fossilized remains discovered in the Atlas Mountains near the Moroccan town of Boulemane of a Jurassic Period dinosaur named Spicomellus.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 30.08.2025
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A low fat yoghurt wins NZ's best ice cream
One of the best ice creams in New Zealand is a frozen strawberry yoghurt from the supermarket, the other is a flash flavour from an Auckland beachside cafe. A low-fat strawberry yoghurt ice cream that sells in 2L tubs for under $5 at the supermarket has been named the best ice cream in New Zealand. While Much Moore’s strawberry low-fat yoghurt ice cream was named supreme champion at this year's NZ Ice Cream and Gelato awards.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.08.2025
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LEGO pros building mini hospital equipment to ease young patients' fears
A group of LEGO pros are hoping to build a less stressful environment for young hospital patients by creating brick miniatures of MRI scanners, Xray machines and waiting rooms so the real thing is not as scary. The LEGO versions of the high-tech gear will go to hospitals in Southland and Otago. LEGO put out hundreds of brick block replicas of hospital machinery about eight years ago, but there were snapped up and NZ didn't get a look in.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 27.08.2025
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Critically endangered giant wētā moved to new sanctuary
Almost 200 giant wētā have been moved from a breeding programme to a sanctuary in Waikato, in a bid to protect the critically endangered insects. The Māhoenui giant wētā are one of the largest insects in the world, and are classified nationally critical due to serious threats. The Department of Conservation (DOC) has moved 193 of the insects to the sanctuary, where they were released by experienced wētā handlers into pre-selected locations.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 27.08.2025
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Worm-loving rescued kiwi melts hearts online
Some were surprised to see just how well the bird was gobbling up the worms at Whangārei Bird Recovery Centre. An injured kiwi snacking on some juicy worms has become an online star. The Whangārei Bird Recovery Centre recently shared a post on Facebook about the female North Island brown kiwi in recovery after she was hit by a car. More than 350 comments have been left on the post and it has been shared about 500 times.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.08.2025
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Autaia a feast of haka theatre
Next week the Aotea Centre in Auckland will come alive with a hākari, a feast of haka theatre - as Autaia returns for its fifth year. Twelve schools from Auckland, Northland and Waikato will explore the theme Hawaiki Hou - Hawaiki is the ancestral home of Māori and hou means 'new' - through haka, dance and theatre. Autaia artistic director Kura Te Ua encouraged anyone keen to see haka theatre to "bring a box of tissues".
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.08.2025
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Breaking down comedy barriers: Pacific women take the mic
A free series of comedy workshops is helping to create a space for Pasifika women to step into an industry where they're underrepresented. Supported by Auckland Council's Creative Communities Scheme, the Va'ine Fresh initiative offers training, mentorship, and performance opportunities, enabling Pacific women to break into stand-up comedy.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 22.08.2025
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Secret whale gathering point found in Southern Ocean
Satellite tracking of New Zealand southern right whales, or tohorā, has revealed a feeding spot south of Australia that scientists say needs to be protected. University of Auckland scientists tracked 25 tohorā from the subantarctic Maungahuka/Auckland Islands through the Southern Ocean, in a study published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation. Dr Leena Riekkola, said one destination "was by far the most popular".
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 24.08.2025
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Physical maps are going nowhere, says Hamilton map store owner
It's not just people over 50 who prefer finding their way with an old-school physical map, says Murray Jones, owner of The Chart & Map Shop in Hamilton. The rise of virtual maps and apps that pinpoint your location on your phone means it is now almost impossible to get lost. But while the physical map has largely faded from most people's day-to-day life, it's a different story for one of New Zealand's few remaining specialist map shops.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 22.08.2025
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Remnants of 2,000-year-old sunken city lifted out of the sea off Alexandria
Cranes hoisted statues from depths of submerged site that authorities say may be extension of ancient city of Canopus. Egypt has unveiled parts of a sunken city submerged beneath waters off the coast of Alexandria, including buildings, artefacts and an ancient dock that date back more than 2,000 years. Egyptian authorities said the site, located in the waters of Abu Qir bay, may be an extension of the ancient city of Canopus.
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Source. theguardian.com, 21.08.2025
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Solar panels in space ‘could provide 80% of Europe’s renewable energy by 2050’
Researchers also suggest system could resolve problems with irregular and weather-dependent Earth-based supply. Solar panels in space could cut Europe’s terrestrial renewable energy needs by 80% by 2050, a study has found. Using a detailed computer model of the continent’s future power grid, the researchers found that a system of space-based panels designed by Nasa could reduce the cost of the whole European power system.
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Source. theguardian.com, 21.08.2025
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New scheme aims to cut out supermarkets, source local produce
A new scheme aims to cut out supermarkets and get fruit and vegetables grown next door or down the road onto people's plates. A group of agencies in Wellington is working to produce direct from local growers and create an online platform where shoppers can bypass big mark-ups and eat seasonally too. The process starts at lush urban farm Kaicyle, tucked down a side street in inner-city Wellington.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.08.2025
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Could an ancient cow’s tooth unlock the origins of Stonehenge?
Isotopes shows animal began life in Wales, adding weight to theory cattle used in hauling stones across country. A cow’s tooth from a jawbone deliberately placed beside the entrance to Stonehenge at the Neolithic monument’s very beginning in 2995 to 2900BC could offer tantalising new evidence about how the stones were transported about 125 miles from Wales to Salisbury Plain.
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Source. theguardian.com, 20.08.2025
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Fireball ‘bright as the moon’ lights up sky over western Japan
Flash of light visible for hundreds of miles was an exceptionally bright meteor, say experts. A huge fireball dashed across the skies of western Japan, shocking residents and dazzling stargazers, though experts said it was a natural phenomenon and not an alien invasion. Videos and photos emerged online of the extremely bright ball of light visible for hundreds of miles shortly after 11.00pm local time (1400 BST) on Tuesday.
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Source. theguardian.com, 20.08.2025
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Who are the ones to watch at the 2025 Pacific Music Awards?
With four apiece, the most nominated musicians are soul/R&B singer Aaradhna, of Indian and Samoan heritage, and Cook Island and Māori songwriter Shane Walker. Cook Island and Māori songwriter Walker (Tainui, Ngāti Mahanga, Ngāti Whātua) has four nominations for best Pacific male artist, best Gospel artist, best Pacific roots/reggae artist, and best Pacific song for ‘Believe’.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 21.08.2025
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Ōtara Flea Market secures five-year licence with longer hours and new conditions
As a beloved South Auckland landmark, the Ōtara Flea Market is known for being rich in Pacific culture and vibrancy, offering food, music, crafts and art. The future of the market looks bright after the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board approved a new five-year commercial licence during its monthly business meeting on Tuesday. The market, first established in the 1970s, is one of Auckland's longest-running open-air community spaces.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 21.08.2025
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US Air Force's largest plane set for special cargo delivery in Auckland
The United States Air Force's largest plane is to land at Auckland's Whenuapai air base with special cargo. A C-5M Super Galaxy will touch down in New Zealand on Wednesday to deliver components for a new C-130J Hercules simulator. The aircraft has a wingspan of 67.89 metres and a maximum takeoff weight of just over 381 tonnes. In December the last of five new C-130J Hercules arrived in New Zealand to replace the C-130H Hercules.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.08.2025
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What goes on the best toastie in New Zealand?
A sandwich described as a “polyamorous marriage of fun flavours” has taken out New Zealand's top toastie title. Stacked with shredded chicken, crispy bacon, burger sauce, American cheddar, McClure’s Bread & Butter Pickles and pickle pesto, the McChickle and Bacon by Toast on the Green chef Mike Shank has been named NZ's top toastie. The Newmarket eatery – who put their name in the hat for the first time - beat 208 others.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.08.2025
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How does Dunedin's cheapest eatery get away with $4 mains?
You might not often have to feed 700 people in a day, but the Bowling Club in Ōtepoti Dunedin can teach us all a thing or two about thrifty meal planning. The Bowling Club in Dunedin is a community eatery serving mains for between $4 and $8 and you can get a dessert or a drink for just $3. With the current cost of food so high, how do they make put food on plates so cheaply?
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.08.2025
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Rare, centuries-old hairdressing memorabilia now on show in Christchurch
From a curling tongs heated over fire to vintage hairdryers and a shaving and teeth-pulling bowl with spare teeth, a range of hairdressing memorabilia over the centuries is now on show in Christchurch. Hairdresser Michael Turner has been collecting hairdressing tools for more than 25 years, building the biggest private collection in the Southern Hemisphere, including thousand-year-old Roman-era blades.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.08.2025
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The best restaurant in New Zealand
Amisfield was among six restaurants that scored the highest at the Good Food Awards and also took the coveted restaurant of the year title. Queenstown restaurant Amisfield, named third best in the world by a prestigious US culinary magazine, has been crowned restaurant of the year in New Zealand's Good Food Awards. Six restaurants scored the highest, 'three hats', among more than 300 in the Cuisine Good Food Guide.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.08.2025
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Starwatch: Moon, Jupiter and Venus form centre of exquisite gathering
The celestial triangle will take place in the constellation of Gemini, beside bright stars Castor and Pollux. There is an exquisite gathering of celestial objects to look out for this week when a beautifully slender crescent moon forms a triangle with the planets Jupiter and Venus, close to the bright stars Castor and Pollux. The chart shows the view looking east-north-east from London at 04:00 BST on the morning of 20 August.
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Source. theguardian.com, 18.08.2025
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'It's really nasty': Toxic plants destroyed in high school competition
A competition dreamed up by high school students and a dedicated teacher has stopped as many as 10 million seeds of a toxic pest plant spreading into the Northland environment. Kerikeri High School's Northland Moth Plant Competition, which wrapped up last month, encouraged people around the region to collect seed pods from the invasive vine, as well as pulling the plants up by the roots.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.08.2025
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Twenty years of 'Bird of the Year' in one book
E koekoe te tūī, e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kererū - The tūī chatters, the kākā cackles and the kererū coos. That is a whakataukī (proverb) mentioning just three of the 80 birds - and one bat - included in the new Bird of the Year book. Writer Ellen Rykers, the former campaign lead, told Saturday Morning that New Zealand's largest book publisher, Penguin Random House, had asked Forest & Bird to turn the competition into a book subject.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 17.08.2025
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Zealandia celebrates once again being weasel-free
A Wellington eco-sanctuary is once again celebrating weasel-free status after being confronted by multiple trespassers. Over the course of a week in June, Zealandia rangers discovered the bodies of mustelids who had weaselled their way inside the sanctuary. Zealandia confirmed the total body count in the traps was five.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 16.08.2025
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The Flaxmere tenor following his dreams in Florence
Young Hawke's Bay tenor Taylor Wallbank will soon be following in the footsteps of his operatic heroes. This month, Taylor Wallbank embarks on a two-year stint in Florence, Italy, for a programme in opera studies and performance at Opera Mascarade. “The greats for me are the old Italian bel canto singers, Carlo Bergonzi, Luciano Pavarotti obviously, Lauri-Volpi, all these amazing tenors, even sopranos as well, like Maria Callas.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 16.08.2025
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Why do Cambodian bakers make the best pies in New Zealand?
Hard work, resilience, community support as well as a sensitive palate to pastry influenced by French colonisation all seem to play a part. From New Zealand pie making legend Patrick Lam to emerging award winners, Cambodian bakers dominate the domestic pastry scene. This year, Cambodian bakers won seven out of the 11 categories in the prestigious Bakels Supreme Pie Awards.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.08.2025
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Aussie angler reels in world-record catch in Twizel
After 30 minutes battling a river monster in Ōhau Canal, Aussie angler Paul Rahman decided to take matters into his own hands - literally. It was after midnight. The sun had long hidden behind the Southern Alps and the chill of autumn hung in the air. But Rahman did not hesitate as he dived into the canal in South Canterbury to drag out the massive brown trout on the end of his line.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.08.2025
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Past the point of safe return, nowhere to go but Antarctica
The Defence Force's Antarctic rescue mission involved hot refuelling, night vision goggles, minus 30 degree temperatures and the black hole effect. Just two hours into a dangerous rescue mission to Antarctica, the crew on board the Royal New Zealand Defence Force super hercules hit their first snag. They were told that Christchurch, the designated airport they would divert to if they had to turn around, was too risky for landing.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.08.2025
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Dagger beaks and strong wings: New fossils rewrite the penguin story and affirm NZ as a cradle of their evolution
Remarkable new fossil discoveries in New Zealand are driving a significant reassessment of our understanding of the early evolution of penguins. We know Antarctica was home to at least ten species, including giant penguins, during the Eocene epoch from about 56 to 34 million years ago. Now, our latest findings based on fossils from a site in North Canterbury reveal an even richer and earlier period of diversification.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.08.2025
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NZ popstar stuns judges on The Voice Australia
26-year-old Cassie Henderson recently won Best Pop Artist at the Aotearoa Music Awards. She sang Chappell Roan’s ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ on the Aussie talent show. Award-winning Kiwi singer Cassie Henderson has blown away the panel of celebrity judges at an audition for reality competition show The Voice Australia. The 26-year-old, who recently won Best Pop Artist at the Aotearoa Music Awards.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.08.2025
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Is Mr Ed New Zealand’s longest-serving shared class toy?
For 15 years, the students of Piha Community Preschool have brought Mr Ed all over the world, around New Zealand and Auckland. Somehow, he hasn’t been lost. In Mr Ed’s 15-plus years of service to Piha Community Preschool in Auckland, he has travelled to Florida and New York, including a photo op outside the firehouse made famous by the Ghostbusters movie. He has been to Australia, Rotorua, Taranaki & some of the most fun places in Auckland.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.08.2025
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Why we need to grow more rice in New Zealand
Pretty much the last place you'd think you'd find a rice paddy growing is on a hill in Nelson, but Yuki Fukuda is doing just that. Yuki Fukuda says as New Zealand’s appetite for rice increases, growing more of the staple crop here makes sense. Fukuda is an ecologist, who studied horticulture at Lincoln University, and says growing rice locally will give New Zealand more food security for a crop which is currently entirely imported.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 11.08.2025
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Bret McKenzie and NZSO win over the whole family with creepy-crawly carnival
On a wintry Wellington Sunday night an insect themed classical concert for children was just the ticket. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has just the ticket. A Creepy-Crawly Carnival and the band has brought in a big gun for the child-focussed gig; Bret McKenzie. The Flight of the Conchorder is compere and narrator in a double bill feature of The Spider’s Feast’s by Albert Roussel, which came with film footage of some of Aotearoa’s own.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 11.08.2025
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Country Life: Lowering costs and enriching the soil - one farmer's regenerative journey
Imagine soil like a sponge, crawling with worms, beetles dragging dung down from the surface and a riot of vegetation on top. It's not everyone's idea of paradise, but it's like heaven for Kaukapakapa farmer Stephen Newman. Newman, a founder of the Kaipara Regenerative Farming Group and a member of farmer-led network Quorum Sense, told Country Life he used to farm very conventionally, until "the penny dropped" a few years ago.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 09.08.2025
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Needy pet owners get helping paw
Many people in need are going without food to feed their pets, according to the manager of a Taranaki foodbank. Nearly two-thirds of New Zealand households own a pet and, for households with children, that number is 71 percent. New Plymouth Community Foodbank manager Sharon Wills has seen evidence of people putting their pets' needs before themselves all the time.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 09.08.2025
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Wellington Airport unveils replacement for iconic giant eagles
Wellington Airport has officially unveiled its latest terminal centrepiece, Manu Muramura - an illuminated sculpture representing the local bird spirit, created by the award-winning Wētā Workshop. The new sculpture was revealed on Friday morning during a ceremony that included a powerful kapa haka performance.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.08.2025
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Drawing from memory: Auckland-based Tongan artist brings Pacific nostalgia to life
Auckland-based artist and animator Luca Tu'avao Walton is an emerging voice in the Pacific creative landscape, with a distinctive style rooted in memory, identity, and the 'nostalgia' of island life. In fact, his work resonated so strongly that one woman messaged him directly, saying his portrayal of Pacific women inspired her to cancel a plastic surgery appointment she had made to change her "wide-set nose".
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.08.2025
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Beam me up, jellyfish: experts unveil spaceships to take us to the stars
Winner of Project Hyperion design contest envisions polyamorous people thriving onboard cigar-shaped craft. Spaceships modelled on jellyfish, 3D-printed homes, polyamorous relationships and vegetarian diets are among the ways in which experts have envisaged making interstellar travel feasible. The ideas from scientists, engineers, architects and social theorists came in response to a global competition to develop plans for “generation ships.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.08.2025
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The students gathering for New Zealand's biggest maths competition
Thousands of students from 300 schools are competing in a maths competition. As many as 15,000 children between the ages of 7 and 13 are participating in the Times Tables Rock Stars Mathematics Competition, a UK-based competition now touring the world. Organiser Bruno Reddy told Morning Report he was running two competitions in parallel, one for the North Island and another for the South Island.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 07.08.2025
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Auckland environmentalist wins battle to protect urban style jungle
A long time Auckland environmentalist has won the battle to protect a number of berms he has planted in an urban style jungle over decades. But plants on another grass verge will be removed by Auckland council after complaints from some residents in nearby apartments. Freeman's Bay resident Mark van Kaathoven has worked on the berm gardens outside his home and neighbouring properties for more than three decades.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.08.2025
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Building programme helps hard-to-reach kids into construction careers
A building programme for college kids in Opotiki is giving hard to reach students career options they never thought possible, while boosting school attendance. The Eastern Bay Trades Academy is owned and run by John Gilmour and Steve Mahy, and is funded by the Bay of Plenty Futures Academy. They take on about 15 students a year who learn on the job and gain their NCEA level 3 at the same time.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.08.2025
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University building AI tool to help te reo Māori learners with real time pronunciation feedback
Auckland University is building a new AI tool that will give te reo Māori learners real time, personalised feedback on their pronunciation. The three-year project is funded with a $1 million research grant from the Ministry of Business and Innovation's Smart Ideas. Head of Auckland Universities' Te Puna Wananga, Dr Piata Allen told Checkpoint the idea is to give te reo Māori learners confidence so they use more te reo more of the time.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.08.2025
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The savvy students growing, hunting and gathering
Four Otago University students are saving hundreds of dollars by growing, hunting and gathering their kai. RNZ podcast Thrift paid a visit to their Dunedin flat. Kieran Halforty, Angus Henry, Jake Corney and Cam Pooley are all eating better than the average student by applying some thrifty smarts. None of them had gardening experience, but by chance they stumbled on a gardening show on TV.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.08.2025
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Queenstown Shotover Jet turns 60: From river ferry to iwi-led tourism icon
One of New Zealand's best-known adventure rides is celebrating 60 years in business after evolving from a simple five-person riverboat into an iconic thrill-seekers' attraction. Ngāi Tahu Tourism said the milestone was about much more than commercial success; it was a moment of pride for mana whenua who have taken the wheel. Shotover Jet business manager Donald Boyer said Shotover Jet rose from humble origins.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 01.08.2025
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Game developer and physics teacher to make STEM school
Physics teacher and academic Tristan O'Hanlon, and Grinding Gear Games co-founder Jonathan Rogers, have been given resource consent to build a new Auckland high school focussed on sciences and computer programming. 'The Academy' in West Auckland is expected to open in 2027. The pair say the school will start with year 7s and year 9s to then build up into a full intermediate and high school.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 01.08.2025
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Marine reserve's 25-year review: 'When things aren't fished the place changes'
The jewel of the East Cape's coastline is under review for the first time in 25 years, with locals hoping the marine reserve will remain protected for many generations to come. Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve is about 20 minutes north of Gisborne city and begins at Pouawa Beach. It was created in 1999, with an iwi condition that it be reviewed in 2025. The reserve stretches along a rugged slice of the East Coast.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.07.2025
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Week in wildlife: a rescued monkey, squabbling jays and an amputee camel
The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world.
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Source. theguardian.com, 25.07.2025
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Hundreds of babies to benefit from Northland's first milk bank
Northland's first human milk bank is expected to benefit hundreds of premature and unwell babies every year. Whangārei mum Ashlee Robinson was the first person to donate milk when the new service opened at the city's Te Kotuku maternity unit on Friday afternoon. She said her own baby spent a month in the hospital's neo-natal unit, so she knew how much the milk bank was needed.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 26.07.2025
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Autistic kids are learning chess - and communication skills - with a former teenage champion
Students at an Auckland specialist school are getting valuable practice in the art of connection as they learn to play the strategic two-player board game. For autistic kids, even shaking hands can be a tricky prospect, says Evguenia Charomova, a Russian-born NZ women's chess champion turned speech therapist. As her students at Parkside School learn to interact with other people over a chessboard, they're building confidence.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 26.07.2025
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Roadworker 'Mr Wave' sparks joy throughout Eastbourne's coastal community
A roadworker on site in a Wellington coastal suburb is making waves with the locals - literally. Since a major seawall upgrade kicked off in 2022, Eastbourne locals have been navigating an obstacle-course of road cones and single-lanes. But among the sea of construction activity, they said it was impossible to miss Ciaran Hogben, a traffic management worker on a mission to greet every single car with a mana wave, a shaka or something else.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.07.2025
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Renewable energy could help get climate targets back on track - commission
The Climate Change Commission says there are big opportunities in renewable energy and clean farming that could cut household bills, help businesses - and get the country back on track for its climate targets. "It's important to acknowledge that costs really matter and people are doing it tough right now and that's why it's really important to do this well and think about those benefits," said Jo Hendy, the commission's chief executive.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.07.2025
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New podcast aims to help young songwriters break into into a difficult industry
A new podcast series aims to help young songwriters break into the music industry. On The Record With Rei is produced by Play It Strange - an organisation which provides secondary school aged musicians with guidance. Across ten episodes, the podcast contains practical advice for getting songs played on the radio, artist wellbeing, and making the most of studio time, and using social media, amongst other things.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.07.2025
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Welby Ings: Kids are being labelled 'dumb' when they're not
He looks at how we measure intelligence and children's educational progress - and why that often ends up marginalising children. Welby argues that we need to appreciate the other ways kids can demonstrate their intelligence - through creativity, humour or non-linear thinking.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 24.07.2025
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Tingling and buzzing - what's the point of ocean water swimming in the middle of winter?
"If you can get up to your neck, your whole body seems to equalise, I guess, and then after a while it'll tingle, and it'll be really nice." It's just shy of five degrees in Wellington - but a balmy 10 in Seatoun Harbour - where a group of about a dozen hardy women prepare to wade in. There's no splashing, dashing, whooping, hollering, or shouts of "shit, it's cold" as you might expect.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.07.2025
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Te Awamutu farmer and his cows find TikTok fame
A Te Awamutu farmer is making a name for himself on social media making videos with his dairy cows. Wesley Nicholas has more than 60,000 followers and millions of views on TikTok, where he posts videos of himself teaching his cows te reo, how to be safe around an angry bull, and describing his wife the same way as his favourite cow. While the 26-year-old, known as thatmadguy2.0 on TikTok, loves milking the 400 odd cows.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.07.2025
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Kiwis take home top board game award
Two New Zealanders have taken home one of the top prizes in the Spiel de Jahres, an annual awards event considered the Oscars of the board game world. Kiwis Carl de Visser and Jarratt Gray have won the Expert Game Award for their game called Endeavor Deep Sea. The game has players representing an institute of oceanographers doing research and conservation work. Players can compete competitively for a score or cooperatively.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.07.2025
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Selwyn College students arrange more than 100 care packages for Auckland refugees
More than a hundred care packages have been given out to refugees thanks to three Auckland high school students. Georgia, Zakia and Ella came up with the idea as part of a school assessment on the global refugee crisis. They handed out box after box to grateful refugees at Selwyn College's Refugee Education for Adults and Families centre.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.07.2025
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New kaupapa Māori health hub opens for young parents in East Auckland
A new kaupapa Māori health and social services hub will open on Tuesday in East Auckland, offering wrap-around support for young parents and whānau to "come together again". Te Whare Piringa, located on Ngāti Pāoa whenua in Glenn Innes, is the first iwi-led space of its kind in Aotearoa. A whare designed not just for parenting support but to reconnect whānau across generations.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 22.07.2025
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Iwi support name change for St Arnaud to Rotoiti
Three iwi at the top of the South Island have put their support behind a proposal to change the name of the village of St Arnaud to Rotoiti. The move is supported by the iwis Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Kuia and Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō. New Zealand Geographic Board secretary Wendy Shaw confirmed the board had received the proposal.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 22.07.2025
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The famous Dunedin Study gets world-wide attention
The landmark Dunedin Study of babies born in the early 1970s has caught the eye of the OECD. The study followed the lives of 1037 babies babies born at Queen Mary Maternity Hospital, Dunedin, in 1972. The participants were assessed every two years, then as adults every five to seven years. Using over 52 years of data, the Dunedin researchers identified eight different pathways strongly linked to early factors like mental health and cognitive skills.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 22.07.2025
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How you can soon get a closer look at Gareth Morgan's giant Transmission Gully sculptures
The economist and philanthropist will be inviting the public to wander through his private sculpture park on the western hills north of Pāuatahanui. Ever driven along Wellington's Transmission Gully road and thought, 'is that a giant park bench in the distance?' You're not alone. The bench is one of several sculptures on the property of economist, businessman and philanthropist Gareth Morgan.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.07.2025
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Real-time flood alert sensors installed on Havelock North streams
Residents living near five Havelock North streams will have a real-time view of their water levels. Hastings Havelock North ward councillor Malcolm Dixon described the new water flow sensors as "wonderful progress". "The sensors monitor the level, flow and pressure of the streams and quickly put out alerts on rising water levels, allowing people to be prepared during weather events," Dixon said.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.07.2025
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The business of playing for neurodiverse kids
Parents of a young autistic boy took his diagnosis head on, creating New Zealand's first play zone for children with disabilities and attracting international attention and recognition. Mac and Maria Pouniu couldn't take their autistic son Mattias to a playground without feeling overwhelmed and judged by onlookers. Instead of staying at home, isolated and alone, the couple decided to take a negative experience and turn it into something positive.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.07.2025
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256-year-old relic of European contact with NZ rediscovered in RNZ podcast
A 256-year-old anchor described by Heritage New Zealand as "one of the oldest relics of early European contact with New Zealand" has been located after vanishing for 43 years. The anchor, lost by a French ship more than 250 years ago, had been located by the famous underwater treasure hunter Kelly Tarlton in 1982, but nobody had seen it since.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.07.2025
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Marlborough council approves $72k upgrade to Blenheim Skate Park
New lighting, shade and a mural is on the way for Blenheim Skate Park. The Marlborough District Council has approved $72,000 for the upgrades, which were requested by the recently established Skate Marlborough organisation in the 2024 Long Term Plan. The lighting improvements would allow skaters to safely use the park after dark, & shading, including two cantilever umbrellas, would help the skaters through hot Marlborough summers.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 17.07.2025
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Astronomers see formation of new solar system around distant sun for first time
Seeds of rocky planets forming in gas around star Hops-315 is called glimpse of ‘time zero’, when new worlds start to gel. Astronomers have discovered the earliest seeds of rocky planets forming in the gas around a baby sun-like star, providing a precious peek into the dawn of our own solar system. It’s an unprecedented snapshot of “time zero”, scientists reported on Wednesday, when new worlds begin to gel.
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Source. theguardian.com, 16.07.2025
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Little spotted kiwi found on New Zealand's mainland for first time in 50 years
Conservationists are delighted after a unique kiwi was rediscovered in Aotearoa for the first time in 50 years. The little spotted kiwi, or kiwi pukupuku, was first spotted in the remote Adams Wilderness Area in the West Coast by a Department of Conservation (DOC) hunter. It prompted DOC biodiversity ranger Iain Graham, alongside his conservation dog Brew, to fly in to locate the bird.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 16.07.2025
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Wēta FX gets two Emmy Award nominations
The nods for Outstanding Special Visual Effects are for its work on the second seasons of TV shows House of the Dragon and The Last of Us. Special effects company Wētā FX has secured two Emmy Award nominations. The nods for Outstanding Special Visual Effects are for its work on the second seasons of TV shows House of the Dragon and The Last of Us.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 16.07.2025
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Kiwi couple the first over-70s Hyrox world champions
Sophia and Bob Warren started training for the endurance event just weeks before their first competition. They've now done it three times, including a spin at the World Champs in Chicago. Kerikeri couple Sophia and Bob Warren show up every morning to the gym at 9am. Before their one hour workout, they eat a bowl of oats to fuel their 70-year-old tanks.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 16.07.2025
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Getting hands on with science creating 'good scientific citizens'
Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā - a science fair based in Rotorua - is hoping to attract more young women into the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair is run by Te Arawa Lakes Trust and this year will be held from 23-25 July at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.07.2025
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Chatham Islands waka find detailed in new report
A new report has shed light on the potential origins of a partially excavated waka in the Chatham Islands. The report concluded the waka was of pre-European construction and likely from a time before significant cultural separation between Aotearoa and the Pacific. But questions around the exact age and size of the waka remain, and experts recommend the Chatham Island community be properly resourced to uncover the waka.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.07.2025
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Scientists detect biggest ever merger of two massive black holes
Ripples in space-time from collision recorded by gravitational wave detector forces a rethink of how the objects form. Scientists have detected ripples in space-time from the violent collision of two massive black holes that spiralled into one another far beyond the distant edge of the Milky Way. The black holes, each more than 100 times the mass of the sun, began circling each other and slammed together 10bn light years from Earth.
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Source. theguardian.com, 14.07.2025
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Denver museum known for dinosaur displays finds fossil under its parking lot
A hole drilled 750ft deep to study museum’s geothermal potential yielded an unexpected surprise. A Denver museum known for its dinosaur displays has made a fossil bone discovery closer to home than anyone ever expected: under its own parking lot. It came from a hole drilled more than 750 ft (230 meters) deep to study geothermal heating potential for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
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Source. theguardian.com, 11.07.2025
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Lowest rat numbers yet since monitoring began in New Plymouth
Rat numbers in New Plymouth are the lowest they have been since a community group began monitoring their numbers in the city seven years ago. Towards Predator-Free Taranaki began in 2018 with the goal of removing rats, possums and mustelids (stoats, weasels and ferrets) from across the region. Each year the community project led by Taranaki Regional Council carries out rat monitoring in the same 10 locations across New Plymouth.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.07.2025
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More city cyclists get on their bikes - but there is untapped demand for more
More people are getting on their bikes in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, with numbers up year-on-year. But researchers and council staff say there is untapped demand from those who do not have bikes, or the confidence to ride them. Christchurch city council's transport planning manager Jacob Bradbury says the post-quake rebuild gave the city a chance to become more bikeable for the many people who wanted safety.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.07.2025
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'I never thought I'd be cooking hangi-style lamb on the steps of the Met'
Thousands of New Yorkers got a taste of New Zealand kai last month at the grand reopening of the Oceania Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, courtesy of New Zealand chef Anthony Hoy Fong. Expats and art lovers flocked to the Met where New Zealand, now New York-based, chef Anthony Hoy Fong, served up hangi-style New Zealand lamb. His food stall was part of a large pop-up showcasing culinary traditions from across the Pacific.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.07.2025
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New Zealand Youth Choir wins top award
New Zealand Youth Choir has won the top award at an international competition in Wales. The singers, aged between 18 and 25, have been awarded Choir of the World at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales. The choir blends waiata and kapa haka with traditional choral repertoire. It is comprised of around 50 singers and operates on a three-year membership.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.07.2025
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Country Life: City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land
It's prep time in the kitchen at Evelyn Page Retirement Village in Orewa, north of Auckland, and another load of food scraps has just gone into the bin. Senior lead chef Dylan Hatt sprinkles some special sawdust over the top and closes the lid. A few kilometres away in rural Wainui, a dedicated team of Year 8 students in masks and gloves, are collecting caddies from the classrooms and emptying the lunchtime food scraps into larger bins.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.07.2025
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Virtual tour of Scott's Discovery Hut debuts at Te Papa Museum
Wellingtonians can explore a section of Antarctica, using cutting edge virtual reality technology at Te Papa this week. Developed by the Antarctic Heritage Trust and Auckland-based tech company StaplesVR, the first virtual reality experience of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's Discovery Hut made its debut in Wellington on Monday. Scott led the National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-04.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 11.07.2025
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Scientists spot mystery object believed to come from beyond solar system
Astronomer says object could be further evidence that ‘interstellar wanderers’ are common in galaxy. It isn’t a bird, it isn’t a plane and it certainly isn’t Superman – but it does appear to be a visitor from beyond our solar system, according to astronomers who have discovered a new object hurtling through our cosmic neighbourhood.
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Source. theguardian.com, 03.07.2025
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NZ Game developers are confident of continued growth
Game developers in New Zealand are confident of continued growth in the industry as it aims for $1 billion in export revenue by 2028. In the last week, the industry here has caught the attention of developers around the world as Grow a Garden - a game scaled up and developed by Nelson based Splitting Point Studios - hit 20 million players online. The national game development association says the sector is one of the country's fastest-growing.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.07.2025
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What it took for Sammie Maxwell to reach the top of the mountain biking world
When Sammie the person comes first, Sammie the cyclist thrives. Sammie Maxwell is sitting top of the World Cup rankings, halfway through the season. And while the mountain biker says she hasn’t found one specific magic key to her success, there’s been a big change that has helped. Very open about her journey with anorexia, 23-year-old Maxwell has been working with the NZ Eating Disorders Clinic to help her in her time overseas.
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Source. stuff.co.nz, 09.07.2025
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Our Changing World: Tauranga’s living sea wall
Coastal critters have new habitat options along the Tauranga waterfront, thanks to the installation of 100 'sea pods' or 'living boulders' in May 2024. Weighing up to 1.2 tonnes each, the sea pods are indented with holes and crevices that mimic rocky tide pools, providing space for tiny organisms from shrimp to anemones to find a home.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.07.2025
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Country Life: A haven for rescued farm animals
A kunekune pig called Paul was Sharlene Wilson's first rescue eight years ago. He joined Kevin and Frankie, and, from that moment, Canterbury Tails Animal Rescue and Sanctuary was born. The trio of pigs was joined by Nellie. She is easy to spot as her curly tail's always wagging. Sharlene says she tried for six months to find a home for Nellie, but no one came forward. "She's part of our family now. We've integrated her with the other pigs".
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.07.2025
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Beyond playgrounds: how less structured city spaces can nurture children’s creativity and independence
Children’s play is essential for their cognitive, physical & social development. But in cities, spaces to play are usually separated, often literally fenced off, from the rest of urban life. In our new study, we compare children’s use of such spaces in Auckland, New Zealand, and Venice, Italy. Our findings present a paradox: playgrounds built for safety can stifle creativity & mobility, while self-organising open spaces offer rich opportunities to explore & belong.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.07.2025
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Kiwi knights do medieval battle in niche sport of buhurt
Some have rugby or football as their sports of choice, but an Auckland group spend their free time donning full suits of medieval armour, and battling it out with swords and shields. While extreme sports like the 'Run It Straight' events have caught headlines recently, Buhurt is a combat sport with a keen eye on safety - although it's not without risk. Training at a warehouse on Auckland's North Shore, these noble knights say it's all about the community.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.07.2025
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Remember the point-and-shoot digital cameras? Gen Z wants them
Young people are embracing the grainy, nostalgic vibe of early digital cameras so they can spend less time on their phones. Anna Ly, 19, is a victim of her own success - or at least the popularity of the trend she is catering to. The 19-year-old university student started using a 2000s-era, point-and-shoot digital camera. Soon, others began asking her where they could get a similar camera, so she opened the Instagram store Retrovision.nz
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.07.2025
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Auckland's Zig Zag track reopens after closure due to storm-damage in 2023
A popular track in Auckland's suburb of Titirangi has reopened this week, following closure after storm-damage from the weather events of early 2023. Auckland Council said the Zig Zag track, which links Titirangi Beach Road to the beach, has undergone significant upgrades to stabilise its path and improve drainage since the storms.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.07.2025
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The people trying to make Auckland buses cool online
Bus drivers share glimpses of their life on social media and one teen was inspired to release an Auckland Transport themed game on popular platform, Roblox. Coming from two generations of bus drivers, Aucklander Robert Richards wasn't always keen on following his father and grandfather's footsteps, but it has turned him into a social media influencer.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.07.2025
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Tommy Solomon statue on Rēkohu - Chatham Islands to be restored
Work to restore the statue of the man widely regarded as the last known full-blooded Moriori has begun on Rēkohu - Chatham Islands. The statue of Tame Horomona-Rehe - known as Tommy Solomon - had degraded after standing near Manukau Point for nearly 40 years. Spokesperson Tāne Solomon said the statue commemorated a respected ancestor and honoured more than 800 years of Moriori presence in the region.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.07.2025
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