Aotearoa NZ 2026
(Jan-Mar)
“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.”
Why do we love feijoas more than anyone else in the world?
This time each year, Melbourne based Kiwis make a special mission to find their feijoa hit. Aussies don't seem to get what all the fuss is about. When it cools down and autumn hits in New Zealand, office kitchens and staff rooms are suddenly abundant with the sweet smell of our widely available little fruit – the feijoa. But spare a thought for Kiwis who have made Australia home – where they don’t seem to understand our feijoa fantasy.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 17.03.2026
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Native speargrass survives Tongariro inferno virtually unscathed, report reveals
Native bush falcons are breeding at Auckland's Hūnua Ranges after years of uncertainty about the species' future. It is estimated that there are 5000-8000 native falcons (kārearea) in the country. They are classified as 'Threatened - Nationally Increasing'. But a 40-day observation of kārearea at Hūnua this summer - commissioned by Auckland Council - led to the discovery of a breeding pair raising two fledglings.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.03.2026
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Kārearea NZ falcon breeding in Auckland's Hūnua Ranges
Native bush falcons are breeding at Auckland's Hūnua Ranges after years of uncertainty about the species' future. It is estimated that there are 5000-8000 native falcons (kārearea) in the country. They are classified as 'Threatened - Nationally Increasing'. But a 40-day observation of kārearea at Hūnua this summer - commissioned by Auckland Council - led to the discovery of a breeding pair raising two fledglings.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 17.03.2026
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Our Changing World: How to grow a kiwi
A little bit of eggshell still clings to the slick feathers of the newly hatched brown kiwi chick. Only a few hours old, it is already able to crouch on its small strong legs in the little heated chamber that will be home for its first two days of life at the National Kiwi Hatchery. Its round belly is full of the yolk that was part of the large egg - food to sustain it for the first few days while it learns to forage for bugs.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 17.03.2026
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New Zealand costume designer Kate Hawley adds Oscar to trophy case
Hawley won an Academy Award for her work on Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein, adding to her Bafta win from last month. New Zealand designer Kate Hawley has won an Oscar in Los Angeles, for her work on Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein. The golden statue joins the Bafta award that she bagged last month for the same film. "On behalf of myself and the amazing team that I work with - the artisans, the alchemists, the dream weavers.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 16.03.2026
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Country Life: How line dancing found a home in the city
Line dancing was once a thumbs-in-belts, fringed boots affair, but it has found a second home in New Zealand's cities in the last decade. Linedance Christchurch co-founder Nigel Mooney had taught the style for 35 years after learning when he was a teenager. American pilots would drop in to his parents' country-styled bar in Christchurch in between their visits to Antarctica. "Right when line dancing exploded in the US, these guys would be learning.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.03.2026
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Country Life: The Shepherdess Muster heads to Southland
With a seven, five, and one-year-old at home, and another baby on the way, life can be quite chaotic for Shepherdess founder Kristy McGregor. Living rurally on a beef and dairy farm in Horowhenua adds another layer. It was that and a desire to connect rural women and provide a sense of community that saw her launch the Shepherdess Muster - a rural women's retreat - first in the remote settlement of Motu in Tai Rāwhiti two years ago.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.03.2026
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Returning to the ocean: How a sailing programme is reviving Pacific knowledge
A new sailing programme is helping Pacific and Māori reconnect with traditional voyaging knowledge while building confidence on the water. The Tagaloa Sailing Project is run by Moana Wayfinders Trust and trains participants to become sailing instructors using a mix of Western sailing techniques and traditional Māori and Pacific navigation knowledge. Founder Sonny Natanielu said his mission is about returning Pacific people back to the ocean.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.03.2026
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Food, music and culture return as Pasifika Festival takes over Western Springs
Thousands are expected to gather at Western Springs this weekend as the Pasifika Festival returns to Auckland for its 33rd year. The festival celebrates Pacific food, music and culture in a city home to more than 275,000 Pacific people. The two-day festival, at Western Springs Lakeside Park, is delivered by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited on behalf of Auckland Council. It is one of the city's largest publicly funded cultural events.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.03.2026
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Far North man reels in 7.66kg snapper and wins nation's biggest fishing prizes
Far North man Harley Ra has won one of the biggest fishing prizes in the nation after landing a 7.665 kilogram snapper in the Ninety Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza. Ra hooked the winning fish on Saturday, the final day of the five-day surfcasting contest, earning him the $30,000 top prize for the heaviest snapper. He also took home $2500 for heaviest fish of the day.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 16.03.2026
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Thousands queue as doors open at revamped Wellington Library after seven years
Thousands queued up outside the Wellington Central Library Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui on Saturday as it reopened for the first time in seven years. The building had been closed since March 2019, due to earthquake risk, with pop-up libraries in the city in the interim, while it underwent a $217 million makeover. Wellington mayor Andrew Little, who donned the mayoral chains for the occasion, reopened the library.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.03.2026
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Kaikōura steps up efforts to protect night sky
Kaikōura's mayor says he felt like ''a kid in a candy shop'' when he first viewed the night sky through a telescope. Mayor Craig Mackle recalled the experience at an astronomy open night at Kaikōura's Fyffe House, during a presentation from the Kaikōura Dark Sky Trust.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.03.2026
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DoC's Kākāpo livestream attracts international attention
A Department of Conservation (DoC) livestream of a nesting Kākāpo on a remote island off the coast of the South Island, has attracted international attention. Through a hidden camera, viewers can watch Rakiura as she raises her chick, who looks more like a sentient ball of fluff than a bird, at this stage. In the comments of the YouTube livestream, watchers announce they're tuning in from places including Argentina, The USA and The Netherlands.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.03.2026
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WOMAD coming back to 'have another shot'
After taking a year of "purposeful rest", organisers say they're ready to "have another shot" at hosting the popular music festival. The WOMAD Aotearoa festival is to return to New Plymouth in 2027 after a "purposeful rest" this year. Event director Suzanne Porter believes the time is right to make a comeback. WOMAdelaide happened last weekend and they had a stellar turnout . So we think the tides are turning. We've got to be optimistic."
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.03.2026
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Kākāriki karaka eggs flown from Nelson sanctuary to Christchurch to boost species recovery
Eggs from the country's rarest parakeet, the kākāriki karaka, have been retrieved from a nest inside a Nelson sanctuary and flown to Christchurch in a bid to help the species recover. More than 100 kākāriki karaka, or orange-fronted parakeet, were translocated into Nelson's Brook Waimārama Sanctuary between 2021 and 2023, and their numbers have since doubled.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 11.03.2026
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Our Changing World: Iwi-led conservation in the Kaimai Mamuku ranges
It was during the Covid-19 pandemic and Mohi Korohina was working in Australia when he got the call. It was his grandfather - 'no good staying in Aussie', he said, 'Come home. There's a job here and you can help our people.' Returning to reconnect with whenua and whānau, Mohi became team leader for Ngāti Hinerangi's new conservation project - Wairere Mahi.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 10.03.2026
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Showreel showcases Dunedin as diverse filming location
Lights, camera, action, Ōtepoti! A new pitch is hoping to put Dunedin centre stage as the next Hollywood A-list film location. Enterprise Dunedin has teamed up with Dunedin-raised comedian James Mustapic to entice location scouts, filmmakers and producers to set their sights on the southern city for their next project. The showreel was designed to sell Dunedin as a place to film, with Mustapic testing his acting chops.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.03.2026
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Why world record holder Kristian Lavercombe still misses playing Riff Raff
The Kiwi actor has notched up thousands of performances as Riff Raff all over the world. After 15 years bringing the iconic character Riff Raff to audiences across the world Kristian Lavercombe says he experienced a kind of mourning when he stopped playing him. Lavercombe holds the world record for the most performances in The Rocky Horror Show, he has performed as Riff Raff 2622 times. Now touring he's New Zealand as The Narrator.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.03.2026
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Get Up street art festival returns to New Plymouth
The centre of New Plymouth has been taken over by street artists, musicians, and a whole lot of spray paint this week. The Get Up Festival is back in town for the first time in more than a decade and 26 graffiti artists are transforming the CBD into a living gallery. Event co-founder Cam "Oddjobs" Shennan said the Get Up Festival was designed as a celebration of street culture.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 07.03.2026
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Full metal mash-up to rock New Plymouth's Bowl of Brooklands
Move over WOMAD, the metal fans are taking over the Bowl for an 'epic' weekend of rock. Taranaki music fans are being urged to forget the disappointment of WOMAD taking a break and instead pull on a black T-shirt, a pair of skinny jeans and get ready to rock. Full Metal Orchestra - which marries heavy rock with a live orchestra - is headed to the Bowl of Brooklands this weekend in a stark contrast to the three-day world music festival.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.03.2026
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How has Country Calendar lasted 60 years on NZ TV?
On March 6, 1966 the first episode of a new show for farmers began. Six decades later, it's still going strong. Taking the gravel road less travelled is one of the great joys of New Zealand's longest running TV show, Country Calendar. The iconic show, which has arguably the country's most recognisable theme tune, celebrates its 60th birthday this weekend.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.03.2026
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Kurahaupō waka goes on display at Masterton's Aratoi Museum
or the first time in several years the modern Kurahaupō waka has gone on public display after being moved overland from Levin to Aratoi Museum in Masterton. The waka was built and launched to celebrate 150 years of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1990 and while it was not designed to be a replica of the waka which brought people to Aotearoa it has served as a vessel to bring their descendants together.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.03.2026
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2026 Taite Music Prize finalists announced
Marlon Williams, MĀ, Geneva AM and Dick Move are among finalists for an award celebrating the best in independent music making in Aotearoa. Marlon Williams, Geneva AM, Tom Scott and Jazmine Mary are among 10 finalists for the 2026 Taite Music Prize. The award, named in honour of late Dylan Taite, one of Aotearoa's respected music journalists, recognises outstanding independent New Zealand albums released in the past year.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.03.2026
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Split Enz have reunited - two more shows for NZ
On the back of their sold out get together at Electric Avenue, the iconic Kiwi band have announced sets for Auckland and Wellington this May. One of New Zealand’s most fabled acts, Split Enz, reunited for the first time in almost 20 years, headling Electric Avenue in Christchurch on Friday. Now the seminal Kiwi band - which includes celebrated song-writing siblings Tim and Neil Finn as well as Eddie Rayner and Noel Crombie.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.03.2026
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Wāhine Māori acknowledged with awards for cancer research
Three emerging Māori researchers leading innovative projects to improve cancer outcomes for whānau Māori will receive this year's Māori Cancer Researcher Award. Their research range from exploring how papakāinga living can strengthen the practice of Rongoā Māori, to developing next-generation immunotherapies with fewer side effects, to enhancing genomic tools that more accurately predict treatment responses for Māori and Pasifika.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.03.2026
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Deep-sea whale re-floated after stranding on central Auckland beach
The Department of Conservation (DOC) has floated a whale back out to sea after it stranded on Auckland's St Heliers Beach. The Shepherd's beaked whale was spotted at Ladies Bay this morning. DOC operations manager Bec Rush said the whale had a health check and was then refloated as the tide was rising about 3.30pm.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.03.2026
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Iwi opens houses to raise whānau at home
Ngāti Mutunga has opened five new houses in Urenui to help whānau get into home ownership and grow their family connections on tribal ground. Tenants will be uri of Ngāti Mutunga - descendants registered as iwi members. They'll pay affordable rentals for five to seven years, so they can consolidate whānau finances to buy their own home on the open market - freeing-up the house for the next family.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.03.2026
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In pictures: Only lunar eclipse of 2026 graces NZ skies
Budding astronomers and photographers have ditched sleep overnight to lay eyes on a total lunar eclipse over New Zealand - from what one expert says is the "best seat in the world". The only lunar eclipse of 2026, also known as a blood moon, began just before 10pm on Tuesday. Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki earlier told RNZ lunar eclipses were not rare per se - the rarity was whether or not it was visible from your location.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.03.2026
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Aboriginal group stands in solidarity with Māori at Waitangi
A group of Aboriginal manuhiri (visitors) say they have travelled across the Tasman to stand alongside Māori at Waitangi, drawing on shared experiences as Indigenous peoples navigating the impacts of government policy on culture, language and land.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.02.2026
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Southern Brown Kiwi lays rare two eggs
A Tokoeka, also known as the Southern Brown Kiwi, from the Haast region has surprised conservation workers with laying two eggs this season, which is uncommon for the species. Devon Collins from the West Coast Wildlife Centre, which helps to incubate and hatch Kiwis that are at risk to predators, said Tokoeka usually lay one egg per year due to the low food availability in the colder climate of the South Island.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.02.2026
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Six planets line up for rare parade throughout February
Celestial spectacle will be at its most impressive on 28 February, when Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will align across the sky. Space enthusiasts are in for a treat at the end of this month as six planets will appear close together in the night sky. The phenomenon, known as a planet parade or planetary alignment, occurs when at least four or five planets can be seen altogether, according to Nasa.
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Source. theguardian.com, 10.02.2026
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The Kiwi costume designer getting global attention
Kate Hawley is at the top of her game, Oscar and BAFTA nominated for her work on Frankenstein. When Kiwi costume designer Kate Hawley signed on for Frankenstein, her third collaboration with director Guillermo del Toro, she knew it would be special, she says. “I can really look back on it and be very thankful for the project, it was a wonderful project to be on, it was a very, very special collaboration.”
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.02.2026
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Our Changing World: Insect vibes
In a small room in the Bioeconomy Science Institute in Lincoln, Dr Mark MacDougall refocuses a laser so that the beam is centred on a piece of metal tape on a tomato plant leaf. He's using it to detect miniscule motions. The source of this movement? A tiny glasshouse whitefly on the underside of the leaf, trying to communicate in a type of insect language, one we can't sense or speak - a language of vibrations.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.02.2026
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'It's me': Statue model comes face-to-face with younger self 60 years later
The muse for an iconic Dunedin statue has come face-to-face with her bronzed younger self nearly 60 years later and half a world away. Catherine Lee was 9 when she posed as Wendy from Peter Pan for British sculptor Sir Cecil Thomas OBE in London. The statue has been a beloved part of the Dunedin Botanic Garden since the 1960s, and Lee shared her experiences during a public talk before fairies and pirates descended for a Peter Pan.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.02.2026
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Otago Peninsula on the verge of being possum-free
Conservationists expect to officially declare the Otago Peninsula possum-free soon and put more pest species in their sights. There have been years of mahi from residents, community groups and the Predator Free Dunedin collaboration to remove the pest from about 9000 hectares on the peninsula. Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group led community possum control on the peninsula for more than 15 years, laying down the foundations.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.01.2026
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Ockham Book Awards 2026 longlist revealed
Nine debut authors appear on the longlist announced today, including Dame Jacinda Ardern for her recent memoir. Forty-four titles have been announced for this year's Ockham New Zealand Book Awards longlist. Nine debut authors appear in the list - three in each of the poetry, illustrated non-fiction and general non-fiction categories - including Dame Jacinda Ardern for her memoir, A Different Kind of Power.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.01.2026
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A derelict quarry transformed into a thriving arboretum
It's taken 30 years of hard graft, but the inspired couple "could see that we could make it into something extraordinary if we tried hard enough". The transformation of a quarry just outside of Hamilton is the culmination of 30 years’ hard graft by landowners John and Dorothy Wakeling. The couple bought the quarry in the mid-1990s, Dorothy told RNZ’s Nine to Noon.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 28.01.2026
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World first as Kākāpo lays egg on livestream
Conservation lovers glued to a black and white livestream from a remote island off the coast of New Zealand on Sunday can safely claim to be the only people to have seen a critically endangered kākāpō lay an egg in real time. The images beamed to the world from a large cavity beneath a rātā tree on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island showed 23-year-old Rakiura laying her second egg of the season, the product of a dalliance with Kōmaru.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 27.01.2026
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Taranaki man hopes to break a Guiness World Record by unicycling around the world
A New Zealand man is hoping to break a Guinness World Record with a hobby he picked up during the Covid-19 lockdown. Norm Joe - from the Taranaki town of Stratford - is planning to unicycle around the world, beginning with the length of New Zealand. He set off from Bluff on 16 January, hoping to reach Cape Reinga by May.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.01.2026
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World Buskers Festival returns to Christchurch
Acrobats, juggling and flying trapeze artists will fill Christchurch's CBD for the next ten days as the World Buskers Festival returns to town. From circus acts to street theatre and comedy, performers from 12 countries would converge on the city's streets for the 33rd year of the festival. Festival co-director Drew James said the annual event on Otautahi's Summer calendar always brought in crowds, and about 100,000 attendees were expected.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.01.2026
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New world record in South Otago blazes trail for more female shearers
Four female shearers have established a new world record, shearing 1938 lambs in eight hours in a South Otago woolshed. Rose Lewis, Ariana 'Missy' Te Whata, Te Atakura Crawford and Pagan Rimene set the four-stand women's eight-hours strongwool lamb record on Tuesday at Melrose Station, near Owaka. No previous record existed for the category, which is recognised by the World Sheep Shearing Records Society.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 21.01.2026
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Massive solar storm fires up aurora in New Zealand skies
Rays from the biggest solar storm of the last couple of decades hit the Earth overnight, causing aurora visible in both the north and south extremes of the globe. The lights were caused by a storm that nearly hit the highest level on the scale used by space weather monitors to measure magnetic disturbance.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 21.01.2026
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One children's author sweeps Gisborne's most-borrowed books list
A favourite children's author, whose books have spanned generations, has topped the charts for most loaned-out books at Gisborne's HB Williams Memorial Library. Gisborne's top five library loans in 2025 were all stories written by American author and illustrator of children's fiction, Dav Pilkey. Pilkey is well known for his Adventures of Captain Underpants series, the first of which was published in 1997.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.01.2026
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Auckland scientists hope to develop melanoma treatments with million-dollar boost
Scientists at the University of Auckland hope a $1 million grant will help them develop groundbreaking new therapies for deadly skin cancers. New Zealand has the world's highest melanoma death rate, with almost 300 people losing their lives to the cancer each year.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.01.2026
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Centuries-old enormous black coral found in Fiordland
A large black coral believed to be centuries old is one of the largest ever found in the waters of New Zealand, researchers say. The coral, measured at 4m high and 4.5m wide, was found in the waters of Fiordland. It was likely to be 300-400 years old. Victoria University marine biologist Professor James Bell said the coral was "absolutely huge".
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.01.2026
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Sir Tim Shadbolt has died at age 78
"Tim was a kind-hearted man who cared deeply about the people around him. He was a champion for the underdog and an active political campaigner from his student days of anti-war protest, his activism for Māori rights, and his fight to keep the Southern Institute of Technology and Zero Fees autonomous. "Tim will be remembered with gratitude, respect, and affection for his commitment to the south and his passion for life.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 09.01.2026
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Island recycling centre rebuilt and booming after blaze
A year after a fire tore through it, an essential recycling centre on Aotea/Great Barrier Island is thriving like never before. A blaze in December 2024 at the Aotea Community Recycling Centre damaged most of the contents of the Anamata shop, its main shed and the solar power system. "It was the opportunity to rebuild better, and change some systems for the better," said Brett O'Reilly who co-manages Anamata with his wife Jo.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.01.2026
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How poo-detecting dogs are helping native birds return to Waiheke Island
Sniffing out the last stoats on Waiheke Island is all in a day's work for springer spaniel Parker and dog handler Tilde Sorensen. Five boxes lay on the ground in front of Parker. Four were decoys and one held what he was supposed to find. All he had to do was sniff out the correct box and lie down with his nose pointing at it.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 09.01.2026
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'Yeah boy': Meet Pleakley, Ōtorohanga Kiwi House's talking tūī
A cheeky tūī named after the Lilo and Stitch character Pleakley is literally turning heads at the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House. If you wander past his innocuous-looking enclosure on your way to the exit, he's likely to call out "hey buddy" or perhaps just guffaw at you. While it is not unheard of for tūī to mimic car alarms and the like, birds that talk are relatively rare.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.01.2026
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