Aotearoa NZ 2025 Qtr 2 (Apr-Jun)
“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.”
Annual New Zealand Garden Bird Survey begins
Hundreds of citizen scientists are set for a stint of bird spotting as the annual New Zealand Garden Bird Survey gets underway on Saturday. It's the 19th time that Te Tatauranga o ngā Manu Māra o Aotearoa has been held. From now until 6 July people were encouraged to get out in their garden or go to a local park and look at and listen for birds for one hour, on one day, and record the highest number of each species they notice.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 28.06.2025
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Roebuck Farm - where the garden beds are rich 'like chocolate cake'
Over the past 20 years, Jodi Roebuck and his wife Tanya have turned a bare paddock into a thriving market garden with an emphasis on microgreens. With soil that's soft "like butter" and garden beds that are rich like "chocolate cakes", Jodi Roebuck seems to have found a winning recipe on his 3-hectare block in Omata, just 10km south of New Plymouth.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 28.06.2025
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New van lab for measuring carbon dioxide levels praised by scientists
Climate scientists are hailing a new lab in a van as a big step forward in finding out how much carbon dioxide New Zealand cities release and how much is absorbed by green spaces. A CarbonWatch-Urban research programme, led by GNS Science, is mapping CO2 sources and sinks in every town and city. The van will access varying climates, geographies and population sizes, and will visit multiple times to account for changes in season.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 27.06.2025
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New Zealand-born Pub Choir composer wows on America's Got Talent
Although Astrid Jorgensen's childhood hero Mel B was unsure about the act, the choir director says it has sparked the biggest response she's ever had. Australian choir director Astrid Jorgensen, originally from Hamilton, has taken her spine-tingling performance to one of the biggest stages on TV in America. The 34-year-old former school teacher was invited to America’s Got Talent by the producers who had spotted her Pub Choir renditions.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.06.2025
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Thirty marathons in 30 days: ‘One and done’
One Queenstown man's marathon effort has come to an end, but he vows it was a "one and done". Michael Heyes, who turned 30 on Monday, decided to run a marathon for 30 consecutive days ahead of his milestone, simultaneously raising money for Australian mental health charity Black Dog Institute. His goal was to raise $30,000. To date he has raised more than $4000 via a fundraising link on his Instagram account.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.06.2025
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Scientists use bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol
Genetically modified E coli used to create painkillers from material produced from plastic bottles. Bacteria can be used to turn plastic waste into painkillers, researchers have found, opening up the possibility of a more sustainable process for producing the drugs. Chemists have discovered E coli can be used to create paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, from a material produced in the laboratory from plastic bottles.
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Source. theguardian.com, 23.06.2025
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How a bushcraft programme helped turn a 13-year-old life around
An Upper Hutt bushcraft programme has helped turn life around for a 13-year-old heading for a life of crime. Maverick Amanini was referred to Natural Leaders a year ago, and had gone through a "dramatic transformation" according to the programme's founder, Mandi Lynn. Amanini's mother, Courtney Kenny, said his bad behaviour started with getting in trouble at his intermediate school.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.06.2025
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First images of distant galaxies captured by ‘ultimate’ telescope
Stunning pictures from Vera C Rubin observatory in Chile released at start of 10-year survey of cosmos. Spectacular views of distant galaxies, giant dust clouds and hurtling asteroids have been revealed in the first images captured by a groundbreaking telescope that is embarking on a 10-year survey of the cosmos.
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Source. theguardian.com, 23.06.2025
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Could spiders help manage pests on New Zealand's farms?
Unravelling new information about spiders could be the key to unlocking productivity in the horticulture sector, according to scientists. An article published in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology found there had been no research on the role spiders play in managing pests on horticultural farms here in Aotearoa.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 24.06.2025
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Country Life: Nick Roskruge - promoting Māori horticultural knowledge
Nick Rahiri Roskruge has gone from working in a cropping gang to academia, and around the world teaching and learning about indigenous foods, but - as he says - he's never really left the paddock. His PhD in soil science led to a position as Professor of Ethnobotany at Massey University, a Fulbright award, and spending time with indigenous people and their crops in the Americas and the Pacific.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.06.2025
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Rēkohu celebrates Matariki and the arrival of Puanga
On Rēkohu, in the Chatham Islands, traditional practices around Puanga are just one of the traditions being rediscovered. Moriori historically celebrated the star Puanga or Rigel to mark the new year. Hokotehi Moriori Trust chairman Hayden Preece said they are going through a mass rediscovery of their culture and traditions.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 21.06.2025
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Cameras reveal more kiwi than possum on Taranaki range
Dozens of cameras installed on the Kaitake Range in Taranaki are revealing the success stemming from five years of intensive predator control. The western-most of three mountain ranges in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki, Kaitake is the focus for a joint predator control programme involving the Department of Conservation, Taranaki Maunga Project, iwi, and other community collaborators.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 21.06.2025
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Light trail to celebrate Matariki goes on display
A reflective light trail celebrating Matariki is on display for two weeks in the Auckland CBD, stretching for two kilometres from Myers Park to the waterfront. Auckland Council said the trail is guided by light and sound effects created by Māori artists, celebrating wai (water) - including the waters of Te Waihorotiu stream, the Waitematā Harbour and the life-giving value of rain.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 21.06.2025
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Matariki celebrations in Ruapehu make for a new year's day to remember
Ngāti Rangi members are reflecting on the honour of hosting this year's Matariki national holiday ceremony. The ceremonies wrapped up on Friday at Tirorangi Marae at the base of Ruapehu. Ngāti Rangi spokesperson Che Wilson said it was huge honour for Ngāti Rangi to host the celebrations in Ohakune, the "capital of carrots". "It's a huge honour to be able to be the first marae to host the Matariki national holiday ceremony."
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.06.2025
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Why kite flying is central to Matariki
Harko Brown, a traditional Māori kite maker, wants to see more kites in the air for Matariki. The lack of kites in the air over Matariki is a big problem for Harko Brown, an expert in traditional Māori games and kite making. How else will those who have died in the past year find their way to the stars if not for the string of a kite? “Lots of iwi believe that the kites are a way for the dead spirits to enter the heavens.”
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.06.2025
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Scientists may have found a big, mysterious carbon sink in the South Island
Scientists may have found a big, mysterious carbon sink in the South Island. But they caution more work is needed to solve the puzzle before New Zealand could claim the discovery as a climate win. NIWA scientists have suggested the reason might be that native forests in the South Island are capturing much more carbon than previously thought, which could pave the way for New Zealand to use pest control and other conservation efforts.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 17.06.2025
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From kōrero to kāinga: Ngāti Rangi celebrates housing milestone
Central North Island iwi Ngāti Rangi has hit a milestone for their housing development in Ohakune - which they hope will help alleviate a shortage of affordable housing in the region. On Monday Te Kūmete o Paerangi - the commercial board of Ngāti Rangi - joined with TW Group and Egmont Dixon - to turn the sod for the construction of ten new houses.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.06.2025
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Great Kaikōura Whale Count at 51 at midpoint of annual survey
So far this year, 51 humpback whales have been spotted in the The Great Kaikōura Whale Count. The annual count, which is run by the The Kaikōura Ocean Research Institute, tracks whales as they swim past the Kaikōura coastline. The count is currently midway through and will run until the end of June.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.06.2025
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New bridge, walkway protecting historic Hauranga Pā in Taranaki opens
A new bridge and walkway protecting the historic Hauranga Pā site near Ōākura in Taranaki has opened. The project, led by New Plymouth District Council in collaboration with mana whenua and the Kaitake Community Board, focused on a walkway given the name Te Ara Tahuri Hau (pathway of wind changes), which was supported by a rock revetment protecting the wāhi tapu site and allowing access around the headland at high tide.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.06.2025
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Rangatahi use Māori speech competition Ngā Manu Kōrero to tackle big issues
Rangatahi are proving they have something to say - and the courage to say it - as they take the stage for Ngā Manu Kōrero, a kaupapa Māori speech competition. Ngā Manu Kōrero is regarded as "the most significant event on the Māori education calendar", allowing rangatahi to express their views, lay down their challenges and honour the "special and unique existence of being Māori", organisers say.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.06.2025
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Fossils found in 1970s are most recent ancestor of tyrannosaurs, scientists say
Researchers identify new species named Khankhuuluu mongoliensis from skeletons unearthed in Mongolia. Tyrannosaurs might evoke images of serrated teeth, massive bodies and powerful tails, but their most recent ancestor yet discovered was a slender, fleet-footed beast of rather more modest size. The new species helps fill a gap in the fossil record between the small, early ancestors of tyrannosaurs and the huge predators that evolved later.
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Source. theguardian.com, 11.06.2025
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'Soften Up Bro': Initiative supports tāne Māori to feel safe expressing vulnerability
It is Men's Mental Health week & a Māori clinical psychology researcher is calling on men to challenge Aotearoa's harmful "harden up" mentality. Soften Up Bro co-founder & a PhD candidate Heemi Kapa-Kingi told RNZ the idea for Soften Up Bro came around 5 years ago when he and a close friend found themselves going through a difficult time mentally. Talking openly with eachother, Kapa-Kingi said, was "therapeutic, "useful" & "quite pragmatic".
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 11.06.2025
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Waikato amateur rocket scientists hoping to soar at international competition
A group of amateur Waikato rocket scientists are heading to an international competition after a successful final practice launch of their creation 'Takahe'. The rocket, built by the University of Waikato Astro-nautics Club, will go up against other creations in the out back of New South Wales in August as part of the Aussie Universities Rocketary Competition. They're in the 10,000 feet category; the closer their rockets gets to that target height.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 10.06.2025
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Students abuzz after topping NZ schools in cancer fundraiser
When a group of boys at a Dunedin secondary school decided to shave their hair for a cause, they did not expect to be leading the country with their fundraising efforts. Otago Boys' High School has raised more than $21,000 for Shave for a Cure this year and leads schools across the country in the collection effort. Over 45 boys had their heads shaved at the school last Friday.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 10.06.2025
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A paraplegic kayak guide returns to the rapids
Thanks to a hi-tech inflatable raft and a support crew, 'Yak' can once again paddle down a raging river. Before a canyoning accident six years ago, Yak was an international whitewater kayak guide, chasing endless summers and living his dream. Afterwards, wheelchair-bound and no longer able to safely roll back into a kayak, he thought watching other people on Instagram would be as close as he’d ever get to having fun on a river.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 09.06.2025
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The art of saying hello to everybody: Aotearoa's friendliest artist
In her debut book Hello to Everybody, Wellington illustrator Sallie Culy depicts the smiling faces of the people in her life. Most afternoons, when it’s not raining, Sallie Culy takes the bus into the city. The felt-pen drawings of friends, family members and celebrities in Hello to Everybody, reflect the 45-year-old illustrator's warm feelings towards every person she meets. “I usually say 'hi' to everybody in town,” she tells Culture 101.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.06.2025
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Building apprentices go head to head in Hamilton skills challenge
Waikato's Jack Mathis was encouraged by his sister-in-law to enter the New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge and, after winning the regional competition, he now has the home advantage at the national finals in Hamilton on Saturday. Nineteen apprentices from across the country are attending the event, after first winning their regional heats in April. The competition is New Zealand's biggest hands-on apprentice competition.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 07.06.2025
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Synthony rocks the world stage
Lights, strings, action: Sythony started as a small, one-off show in Auckland nearly a decade ago. Today, it's selling out venues around the world. There is something electric in the air. It is a feeling, a movement, a beat. It is called Synthony. Born in New Zealand from a one-off idea back in 2016, Synthony has gone from an ambitious fusion of classical music and electronic dance hits to a global phenomenon, and it is not slowing down.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 07.06.2025
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RNZ recognised at Radio and Podcast Awards
RNZ has won plaudits for its news and podcasts at the annual Radio and Podcast Awards. RNZ's Alexa Cook won best journalist, and reporter Kate Green was awarded best new journalist. RNZ's journalism was also recognised for best team coverage on the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui. RNZ was also a finalist in the category for its coverage of the Tangi of Kiingi Tuheitia.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.06.2025
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From spinal injury to tearing up the slopes
In March 2016 Bailley Unahi’s life changed forever when the balcony she was under at a Dunedin party collapsed. Bailley Unahi suffered a severe spinal injury following the collapse of a crowded balcony at a Six60 concert on Dunedin's infamous Castle Street. Since the 2016 accident she has pursued a career she never knew she wanted and taken up a sport she hopes will take her all the way to next year's Winter Paralympics - sit-skiing.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.06.2025
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"We know who's who, and if it's addressed wrong, still gets to them"
The mail always gets through in one of New Zealand's remotest regions, thanks to some dedicated volunteers who run the local post office. While rural mail services are shrinking, Colville, in the north-west of Coromandel Peninsula, has a thriving mail service based in the small community's original post office, with a band of volunteers taking turns behind the counter and sorting the mail.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 30.05.2025
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Suzy Cato says her King's Birthday honour 'sounds very grown up'
"It sounds very grown up and really not like me, but hey, I'm going to take it thank you very much." Suzy Cato has been a central figure in children's television, music, and education for more than 35 years. She became a household name after joining The Early Bird Show in 1990, and soon followed with popular programmes You and Me and Suzy's World, in which she educated children with activities, stories and songs.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.06.2025
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Dazzling aurora scenes delight as strong displays seen from many places
A stunning Aurora Australis display has once again graced the night sky, with South Islanders reporting sightings in Southland & Otago on King's Birthday Monday. The colourful natural phenomenon, also called the southern lights, put on a strong display visible in the night sky across many parts of NZ on Sunday night, prompting photographers far north as Waihi to set up their tripods during the largely cloudless but cold night to capture the lights.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.06.2025
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Wellington students win big at world's oldest and largest science fair
Two Wellington students have won major awards at the world's oldest and largest science fair, held in the United States. The pair competed against nearly 2000 students from 70 countries at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Ohio. Year 13 student Jesse Rumball-Smith took out first place in the behavioural and social sciences category for a smartphone app he developed that detects road risks and helps promote safer driving.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.06.2025
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King's Birthday Honours: Dai Henwood, Tim Southee and Jude Dobson among those recognised
A total of 188 New Zealanders who have made their mark on New Zealand have been awarded for their services, in the King's Birthday Honours list released today. There are 88 women and 100 men drawn from a range of areas including: arts and media, business, community work, education, science, health and sport.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.06.2025
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King's Birthday Honours: Ron Ealam recognised for work training search and rescue dogs
There are many ways to serve a community, and Ron Ealam, from Oxford in Canterbury has been doing it, for the last few decades at least, with trusty dogs at his side. On Monday, Ealam was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his work with Land Search and Rescue over more than 50 years. For half of that he has been working with rescue dogs - developing the official search dogs training programme.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.06.2025
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Conservation Department re-opens Blue Pools Track after two years of repairs
The Department of Conservation is re-opening the popular Blue Pools Track north of Wānaka this weekend, after two years of repair work. Walkers can expect to see an upgraded Blue Pools bridge, a completely new Makarora swing bridge and a new, raised boardwalk. DOC closed the bridges in May 2023, when engineering reports signalled they needed safety upgrades.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 31.05.2025
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'I don’t change for no one' - Hori Shaw and those blood stained crocs
“I don’t really care about that fame stuff, doesn’t bother me, I’d rather be in the bush to be honest," says the Aotearoa Music Awards’ breakthrough artist of the year. Aotearoa Music Awards’ breakthrough artist of the year Hori Shaw says he won’t change for anyone – no matter what they say about his laidback style. The Ōpōtiki-based reggae artist rocked up in his blood-stained crocs and hunting jacket to accept the award, thanking his family.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 30.05.2025
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Christchurch 14yo out to prove she's the strongest teenager in the world
Tahlia Vosaki trains five days a week, up to four-and-half hours a day around homeschooling. A Christchurch 14-year-old is vying to prove she is the strongest teenager in the world at the global teenage CrossFit Games. Tahlia Vosaki will fly to Ohio in the United States in August for the competition, which is reserved for the top 30 fittest teenagers in her age group. CrossFit involves high intensity interval training which builds strength and conditioning.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 30.05.2025
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Where is the best tasting tap water in New Zealand?
The winner comes from a shallow well next to the Ōpihi River in Timaru and will represent New Zealand in the trans-Tasman Water Taste Off held in NSW this July. Timaru District Council's Seadown water supply has been crowned the best tasting tap water in New Zealand in the 2025 IXOM National Water Taste Test competition. Four New Zealand district councils were vying for the coveted title, including the reigning champions, Rotorua Lakes. Click her for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 30.05.2025
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Aotearoa Music Awards 2025: Must-see moments from the show
Astonished Devilskin call for a new category at the awards, a confusing scream into the microphone and only in New Zealand would we see crocs step up on stage. At the Aotearoa Music Awards last night, we had a blast from the past with montages of iconic artists from the past 60 years, political side-eyes, and Lorde dropping a new music video just an hour before appearing on the red carpet.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.05.2025
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World-renowned Zealandia fence to be replaced 25 years after being built
Wellington's most famous fence is nearing the end of its lifespan, with a design for its replacement under way 25 years after it was first installed around Zealandia. It was the first of its kind worldwide when it was built in 2000, and now, the eco-sanctuary is home to some rare and protected flora and fauna, including parasitic plants, kiwi, takahē and tuatara.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.05.2025
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Singing to babies boosts their mood and wellbeing, study shows
It's a universal practice, parents and caregivers singing to babies. But now research proves that singing to babies really does have benefits. A joint study between the Universities of Auckland and Yale, in the US, shows singing can help to lift their moods and boost their wellbeing. "Infants are very chill about the quality of the vocal input they are getting, they really like to hear their parents voices," he said.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.05.2025
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Kelp, Pōhutukawa and other vegetation could slow down tsunamis - research
New research from GNS Science reveals natural ecosystems, such as kelp forests, can slow down the speed of tsunamis in New Zealand. The pilot study was carried out in Napier and looked at both natural and manmade tsunami defences along the coastline using computer simulated models. These mimicked the resistant forces of each ecosystem and compared the maximum inundation extent, flow depth and speed.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.05.2025
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'Nank would be chuffed' - Native bush stays in public hands thanks to donation from late conservationist
When Wellington's regional council placed the winning bid on a huge block of farmland and native bush in the hills behind Eastbourne, it was only possible with the help of a million-dollar donation from the estate of a local conservationist. John Nankervis, who died aged 75 in 2022 after a stroke, left his estate to conservation projects after a lifetime exploring the outdoors.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 28.05.2025
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Kiwi in global contest to feature on Timbaland's album
Singer and musician Josh Leys has beat thousands of competitors to make it to the semi-finals. Kiwi singer and musician Josh Leys has made it to the semi-finals of a global contest being run by American record producer and rapper Timbaland. Leys is the only Kiwi among the remaining 120 contestants, whittled from about 20,000 hopefuls who entered the competition in March.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 27.05.2025
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How Billy T winner Hoani Hotene uses te reo Māori in comedy
Hotene joins the likes of Kura Forrester, Jermaine Clement and Taika Waititi as past Māori winners of the prize celebrating emerging talent on the NZ comedy circuit. When comedian Hoani Hotene walked into his house and saw the iconic yellow towel prize laying on his couch, that's when it hit home that he had bagged the 2025 Billy T award. "If I don't get any more awards, I'd still have this one and that would still be pretty huge,” Hotene says.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 27.05.2025
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World’s oldest fingerprint may be a clue that Neanderthals created art
A man 43,000 years ago dipped a finger in red pigment and made a nose on a face-like pebble in Spain, scientists say. One day around 43,000 years ago, a Neanderthal man in what is now central Spain came across a large granite pebble whose pleasing contours and indentations snagged his eye. Something in the shape of that quartz-rich stone – perhaps its odd resemblance to an elongated face – may have compelled him to pick it up.
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Source. theguardian.com, 26.05.2025
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'As soon as you can call a society a civilisation, board games appear'
Throughout human history, every civilisation “creates board games round about the beginning of any society,” British author Tim Clare says. In his new book The Game Changers, Tim Clare argues games are a universal human instinct. “As soon as you can call a society a civilisation, board games appear, and there's clearly something about them that builds the urge to play.” Board games are a form of language, he says.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 26.05.2025
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High-spec Pouakai Hut replacement built to withstand 300km/h winds
The unique challenges of building in the sub-alpine environment has meant everything including the kitchen sink - four times over - has had to be helicoptered into the Pouākai Hut rebuild site in Te Papakurua o Taranaki - the region's national park. The new 300sqm, 36-bunk building is replacing a hut half its size, which was built in 1981 and could no longer cope with traffic to the popular Pouākai Tarns.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 26.05.2025
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New Zealand's best country music song of the year named
The exhaustion of first-time parenting has inspired Aotearoa's top country tune for 2025. Holly Arrowsmith has taken out the 2025 APRA Best Country Music Song Award with her song 'Blue Dreams' at this year's Country Music Honours event in Gore. It's back to back wins for the Christchurch singer-songwriter, who won in 2024 for her track 'Desert Dove'. She also took home the prize in 2019 for 'Slow Train Creek'.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.05.2025
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RNZ centenary - rural broadcasting in the spotlight
Informing, entertaining and connecting isolated farmers was a prime goal of the New Zealand Radio Broadcasting Company, which was officially incorporated in August 1925 and a forerunner to RNZ. As RNZ celebrates that centenary, Country Life dips back into the archives to bring you some of the well-loved voices and shows from the rural team through the decades.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.05.2025
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RNZ Concert recordings win international recognition
Three very different live performances were awarded at a prestigious radio ceremony in New York. RNZ Concert’s music production team has been recognised at the prestigious New York Festivals Radio Awards, winning the only gongs given for the craft of Live Sound in this year's competition. Mana Moana: Songs of the Pacific - NZSO and Signature Choir , Troy Kingi with the Auckland Philharmonia & Beyond Words - NZSO .
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.05.2025
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Scientists use artificial insemination to boost kākāpō numbers
A new study has discovered the use of artificial insemination is improving the fertility of kākāpō. It isn't the first time scientists have tried the method, with the first trial in 2009. But this time a team of German scientists from the University of Giessen was called in to help out. Kākāpō numbers have bounced back from just 51 birds in the 1990s, to 242 today. "Doing it in the wild is actually really, really difficult," he said.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 21.05.2025
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Scientists discover humpback whales are giving birth in New Zealand waters
Humpback whale calves are being born much further south than scientists thought. Until now, researchers believed the whales gave birth in warmer waters. But a new study from the University of New South Wales - no pun intended - shows humpback calves have been spotted as far south as Kaikōura, and near Port Arthur in Tasmania. That's 1500km further south than usual.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 21.05.2025
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Art classes an 'amazing' outlet for homeless in Auckland
This time last year, Scott San Quentin was living rough in and out of hostels and sleeping under a bridge in Auckland. He is unable to work as he recovers from the long-term effects of a cycling crash which left him with concussion but now has housing and is attending weekly art classes at Homeground where he paints.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 21.05.2025
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New Zealand's 'Little Miss Metric'
Although she “retired” at age 10, Jeannie Preddey has a special place in New Zealand history. It's 150 years this week since the Metre Convention was signed. Also known as the Treaty of the Metre, it ushered in the metric system. New Zealand started the transition to metric in 1969 and was fully metric by December 1976. Almost every country in the world, except the US, Myanmar and Liberia, now uses the metric system.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.05.2025
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'Momentous moment': Pukupuku moved from Wellington to Hawke's Bay
Fifteen of the country's smallest kiwi have taken flight from Zealandia in Wellington, heading to Cape Sanctuary in Hawke's Bay, in an effort to grow the national population. The translocation marks the first time pukupuku have been moved between sanctuaries since their reintroduction to the mainland two decades ago, in a collaboration between Zealandia, local iwi, Cape Sanctuary, Kiwi Recovery and the Department of Conservation.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.05.2025
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Dolphin whistle decoders win $100,000 interspecies communication prize
Coller-Dolittle award won by US team for discovering call that triggers avoidance and could be used as alarm signal. A $100,000 prize for communicating with animals has been scooped by researchers who have shed light on the meaning of dolphins’ whistles. The Coller-Dolittle Prize for Two-way Inter-species Communication was launched last year by the Jeremy Coller Foundation and Tel Aviv University.
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Source. theguardian.com, 15.05.2025
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Rare parasitic plant rediscovered near Wellington
Aotearoa's only parasitic plant has been rediscovered in Wainuiomata, after wild populations of the species were thought to be extinct from the region for more than a century. Te pua o te Rēinga, also known as wood rose or Dactylanthus taylorii, is endemic and critically threatened. Seeds from the King Country were translocated to the Wellington five years ago, but the last documented observation of a wild population was in Kaitoke in 1914.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.05.2025
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Waikato man on mission to break land speed record in home made car
A Kiwi engineer is on a mission to set a land speed record higher than 422km/h - in a car he built in his shed. Seventy-two-year-old Dave Alexander has spent the past nine years building the Lakester, which looks more like the fuselage of a fighter jet than a car. In three weeks he will ship the turbo-charged, 1000 horse power car to the United States to race at the famous Bonneville Salt Flats.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.05.2025
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'The Pink Hoodz' lending a helping hand to those sleeping rough on Auckland's Karangahape Road
People wearing pink hoodies will soon lend a helping hand to those sleeping rough on Auckland's Karangahape Road. An organisation trying to prevent youth homelessness, Kick Back Make Change, was training a small group of volunteers it called The Pink Hoodz. Kick Back co-founder and manager Aaron Hendry said The Pink Hoodz would walk up and down the street, giving out food and connecting those who need it with emergency housing.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.05.2025
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Researchers uncover giant 30-year-old fungus near Eltham
A trio of fungal experts stumbled across the largest Ganoderma specimen they had ever seen during the annual New Zealand Fungal Foray this week in Taranaki. PhD student Sam Lasham found the enormous Ganoderma at Rotokare near Eltham. He was accompanied by the academic leading the expedition, Dr Peter Buchanan from Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, and Auckland teacher teacher Gerrie Viljoen.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 17.05.2025
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Hawke’s Bay bus driver’s shelter project keeps kids warm and dry
On a wet week in March, a Hawke’s Bay school bus driver saw his young passengers huddled under a canopy of huddled umbrellas and decided to do something to keep them warm and dry. Lee Somervell has been a school bus driver with Tranzit for about nine months. He transports pupils from up the Esk Valley to Eskdale School, north of Napier. ‘Here we are at Eskdale School, the best school in Napier’ and they all go ‘ it’s the best in the universe’.”
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Source. nzhearald.co.nz, 16.05.2025
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Glowworms, luxury and manaakitanga: Rotorua's ambitions for a brighter future
Rotorua, the birthplace of New Zealand tourism. Iconic for its history, culture and geothermal wonders it's also an adventure seeker's playground. The city has worked to rebuild from the effects of closed borders and a heavily criticised emergency housing approach. In the wake of the country's biggest visitor industry event Trenz, held this month in the city, Local Democracy Reporting looks at Rotorua's path to tourism recovery.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 16.05.2025
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Kiwi brothers beat Aussies at barbecue competition
Cook Cartel beat barbecue bosses from around the world to become the first international team to win the title at Meatstock Sydney. Two west Auckland brothers have shown the Aussies who the real king of the barbecue is, taking out the grand champion title at Meatstock Sydney. With their expert crusting, marinating and glazing, Cook Cartel became the first international team to take out the title at the three-day festival last weekend.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.05.2025
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Dame Valerie Adams on her advocacy for tamariki
Dame Valerie Adams is on a mission to help thousands of tamariki in South Auckland as winter bites. Kidz First Hospital at Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland is seeing up to four children admitted to its intensive care unit every day with respiratory illnesses. Through the Jammies for June campaign, Middlemore Foundation ambassador Dame Valerie Adams pushing to collect pajamas to donate for children in need.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.05.2025
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Rare endemic New Zealand snail been filmed laying an egg
Powelliphanta Augustus snails live for more than 20 years, lay a few bean-size eggs annually, and eat slugs and earthworms. Compare this to a garden snail, which have thousands of offspring each year, only a short-lifespan and eat plants and leaves. They're hermaphrodites with genital pores on their necks - which means the snail only needs to peek out of its shell slightly to "do the business". DOC has been managing a captive Powelliphanta.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.05.2025
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Conservation efforts boost numbers of rare coastal birds in Taranaki
Community-based trapping efforts are being credited with vulnerable coastal birds - the tūturiwhatu (Northern New Zealand dotterel) and ōi (grey-faced petrel) - extending their range and returning in increasing numbers to Taranaki. Ōi are being spotted as far south as Ōpunake, while tūturiwhatu have climbed in number from one or two individual birds 30 years ago to about 50 today, with 15 breeding pairs.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 20.05.2025
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Starlings form ‘friendships’ to help each other with breeding, study finds
Superb starlings seen to build reciprocal relations in which they return favours when a ‘helper’ has offspring of its own. Birds of a feather flock together, so the saying goes. But scientists studying the behaviour of starlings have found their ability to give and take makes their relationships closer to human friendships than previously thought. About 10% of bird species and 5% of mammal species breed “cooperatively”.
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Source. theguardian.com, 07.05.2025
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X-ray reveals ancient Greek author of charred first century BC Vesuvius scroll
Ink traces show text is part of work by Epicurean philosopher Philodemus, burned during AD79 volcano eruption. A charred scroll recovered from a Roman villa that was buried under ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago has been identified as the influential work of an ancient Greek philosopher.
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Source. theguardian.com, 06.05.2025
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Little spotted kiwi return to Nelson 'turning clock back a century'
It's been a vision more than years in the making and now little spotted kiwi have returned to Nelson. The group of kiwi pukupuku from Kapiti Island have spent their first night settling into their new home at the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary. Sanctuary volunteer Erwin Oberhumer piloted one of the planes carrying the fluffy cargo from Paraparaumu to Nelson on Wednesday.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.05.2025
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Native jumping spider found in restored Rotorua forest
A native jumping spider boasting great eyesight and tiny genitalia has been discovered at a Rotorua forest that is being restored. Rotorua Canopy Tours has been working to make the Dansey Scenic Reserve pest-free for more than a decade. They are now enjoying the fruits of their labour, with new species being discovered as the old growth forest thrives.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.05.2025
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Rare snail saved from mining captured laying egg on camera
A rare and threatened species of West Coast snail has been captured on camera laying an egg for the first time. The Powelliphanta augusta snail was being weighed by Department of Conservation (DOC) ranger Lisa Flanagan in when the little egg emerged from its neck.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 07.05.2025
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Nigel Latta says ‘It’s okay to be average’
“You’ve gotta keep pushing back into that optimistic space,” he says. “Because optimism really is a superpower. It really does help.” There’s something especially grounded about Latta’s perspective. “It affirmed all the things I believed in before,” he says, “but now I have a new sense of how important they are, and the things that make it hard.” One of those values is faith in people. “It’s okay to be average,” he says. “That’s what we’ve forgotten.”
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 07.05.2025
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Mākara rat-catching drive keeps Wellington kiwis (and eels) alive
Students at a small, semi-rural school west of Wellington City are trapping rats in the playground and feeding them to the eels, in the name of biodiversity. Mākara Model School is helping protect the 200 kiwi now living in Wellington's eastern hills, as part of the Capital Kiwi project. Mimi, 11, was part of a small group of Mākara students tasked with checking the schools traps, indoors and out, each day.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.05.2025
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How to watch the Eta Aquariids meteor shower in New Zealand this week
One of the best meteor showers in the Southern Hemisphere, the Eta Aquariids, will be visible in New Zealand this week. Here's how you can catch a glimpse of it and what you need to know. The Eta Aquariids is a meteor shower caused by the Earth passing through a trail of debris orbiting the Sun that's left behind by Halley's Comet. "Small bits of ice, dust, and rock fall into our atmosphere and high speeds, burning up and creating the meteors.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.05.2025
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Court Theatre's new $61 million playhouse opens in central Christchurch
The long-awaited new home for Christchurch's Court Theatre has officially opened its doors in the central city, 14 years after the devastating quakes that drove it out of the Arts Centre. People turned up in droves on Sunday to get a first look inside the new $61 million playhouse on the corner of Colombo and Gloucester Streets. The theatre had been in temporary lodgings in a shed in Addington since the 2011 earthquake.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.05.2025
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East meets Aotearoa: NZ and Japan join forces on health innovation
A health researcher spearheading a cross-cultural initiative between Japan and Aotearoa said both countries can learn from each other. A University of Waikato team is in the middle of a two-year project with Hiroshima University. Senior research fellow at Waikato's Te Ngira Institute for Population Research, Dr Jesse Whitehead, said the project's overall purpose was designing and building resilient equitable health systems.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.05.2025
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Wellington workshop makes space for women, gender diverse people
A new workshop space in Wellington aims to encourage more women and gender diverse people to learn how to build, fix and make things. The Cahoots Workshop is a traditional makerspace - like a MENZSHED - but it is only open to women and gender diverse people. Founder and director Jade Musther said the workshop, in Pōneke's Mt Cook suburb, was the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.05.2025
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'We can never underestimate the value of being able to see ourselves in stories'
Shilo Kino’s latest novel All that We Know is about a young woman reclaiming her reo as a disconnected urban Māori. Shilo Kino’s latest novel reflects her own experiences of reconnecting with her ancestral language, she tells RNZ’s Nine to Noon. Kino won a major award for her first book The Porangi Boy- and now her first novel for adults - released last year - is a finalist in Ockham Book Awards.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.05.2025
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'Firebird' double bill ballet dazzles brillantly
The Royal New Zealand Ballet's performance of a 115-year story has plenty of spark. The star of the show was evident as the curtain rose on the Royal New Zealand Ballet's latest production of The Firebird. All eyes were on the company's ethereal Firebird, a shimmering plumed creature owning the theatre stage, danced by the effortlessly grand Ana Gallardo Lobaina.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 01.05.2025
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'A rich world': Marlon Williams brings healing te reo Māori journey to cinemas
Marlon Williams has sung in te reo Māori his whole life, but never felt confident enough to write a full album in the language - until something shifted with his first waiata, Aua Atu Rā. Tāmaki Makaurau's Civic Theatre was filled with tears, laughter and a standing ovation on Tuesday night as crowds gathered for the world premiere of Ngā Ao E Rua - Two Worlds. Williams told RNZ, seeing his journey come to life on the big screen was "humbling".
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 30.04.2025
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Southland aunty teaching others to find a feed
She is known by many up and down the country as Whaea T - the aunty who will teach you how to hunt, fish and gather. Southlander Terressa Kollat is also now a TikTok star with some 200,000 followers. Her videos show her catch and how she prepares the food. Inspired by her nephew Michael Taniora to put her Facebook videos on TikTok - Terressa's first video on the video platform of her eating fresh kina went viral with more than 1 million views.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 01.05.2025
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Living roof project could provide green shoots for Auckland's concrete jungle
A project to measure the benefits of living roofs in Auckland has shown surprising results that researchers hope take root. The trial led by Auckland University, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and local council compared the performance of green rooftops to conventional ones in dealing with the elements. Those working on the Living Roof Monitoring project atop of Auckland's Central Library say the benefits could be wide ranging.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 01.05.2025
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‘Oh my God, that’s a moose’, Canadian hikers say
Three Canadian hikers say they saw what they believe to be a moose as they completed the Kepler Track in Fiordland last month. It is the second such report in March after American visitors Norbert Nigon and Virginia Schuning said they saw one on the track two weeks earlier. They were on their third day on the track, on 29 March, when they came across a large animal near the bank of the Iris Burn River.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.04.2025
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Ice and Darkness: Why New Zealand’s Antarctic crew love the winter
The sun never rises and temperatures drop to -50, but many of Scott Base’s winter crew of 12 people keep coming back. Last Thursday, the crew of 12 people at New Zealand’s Scott Base in Antarctica said goodbye to the sun. It barely rose in the sky before it dipped below the horizon on a windy day as they prepared for the base’s Anzac Day celebrations. The sun won’t appear again until August 19. That’s six months of icy darkness.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.04.2025
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The Auckland Uni nuclear physicist unlocking secrets of the universe
Years of work on the 'world's greatest science experiment' helped unlock secrets of the universe. Now Auckland nuclear physicist David Krofcheck has been recognised for his work - alongside 13,507 others. It recognises their years of work on the world's greatest science experiment, the Large Hadron Collider in CERN, near Geneva. The collider reveals information about the fundamental properties of matter, energy and the early universe.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 26.04.2025
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It’s ok to make mistakes - cooking show aims to inspire te reo learners
A light-hearted pilot cooking show in te reo Māori has been launched recently on Māori Television to encourage people to give the language a go. Co-hosted by journalist Eda Tang and independent musician James Dansey (Tūwharetoa, Ngāruahine), Āku Hapa is filled with laughter and jokes as the co-hosts cook kai and serve it to a guest. As te reo learners, the hosts would make mistakes as they spoke the language.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 24.04.2025
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Early eggs hopeful sign for bumper blue penguin season in Ōamaru
Birds in the Ōamaru blue penguin colony have begun laying their eggs almost three months early, sparking hope of a bumper season. Colony science and environmental manager Philippa Agnew told RNZ that the colony had never laid eggs in April before and it was very surprising. Little penguins typically began laying eggs between late July and mid-November, spending April and May feeding at sea in preparation for the nesting season.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 24.04.2025
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From rural New Zealand theatre to the big stage of Broadway
Actor Hayden Tee, who hails from Maungaturoto in Te Tai Tokerau, reprises his role in the musical theatre show & Juliet, a modern retelling of the Shakespeare classic. A Kiwi on Broadway is realising his teenage dream as he takes on a role in the musical reimagining of Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet. Roaring with iconic songs that will make anyone nostalgic of the 2000s and 2010s era.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.04.2025
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'I haven’t heard a librarian say ‘shush’ in 20 years': how libraries are about more than just books
Libraries in New Zealand are no longer just for books. They are learning hubs, language schools, havens for the homeless and support centres for those who have nowhere else to go for help. When I visit Dinsdale Library in Hamilton West on a damp Friday afternoon, librarian Shannon Cooper has French lessons on her mind. “We’re there to fill the need where we can and connect with everyone,” she says, radiating positivity.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 22.04.2025
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Exoplanet discovery is exciting, but too early to say aliens - NZ physicist
Astronomers have just uncovered fascinating signs we may not be alone in the universe - but what exactly does the discovery tell us, and why is it unusual? The team from the University of Cambridge say they detected a biosignature - special molecules in the atmosphere of a distant exoplanet. They have called it a revolutionary moment. But not everyone is convinced. Other scientists are urging caution, saying we need more proof.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.04.2025
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Wellington reaches 200 kiwi in the wild
In the hills of Makara on the coast of Wellington nearly 75 kiwi are settling into their new home. It's kiwi translocation season, and for the Capital Kiwi Project the latest releases have brought their numbers up to just over 200 birds. The project is working to have enough kiwi to establish a population, and its latest releases bring it closer to hitting its quota, with a permit to release 250 birds in total.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.04.2025
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Scientists capture first confirmed footage of a colossal squid in the deep
The colossal squid was first described in 1925 based on specimens from the stomach of a commercially hunted sperm whale. A century later, an international voyage captured the first confirmed video of this species in its natural habitat - a 30cm juvenile, at a depth of 600 metres near the South Sandwich Islands. Colossal squid can grow up to seven metres and weigh as much as 500kg, making them the heaviest invertebrate on the planet.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 16.04.2025
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Social supermarket set up in Hastings for struggling families
A new social supermarket has opened its doors to Hastings families struggling to cover the cost of groceries. The social supermarket enables people, who are referred by social agencies and allocated a certain number of points, to spend their points at the store. Nourished for Nil founder Christina McBeth, who opened such a supermarket in Napier in September 2023, told Checkpoint Hastings residents were travelling to Napier to access the food.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.04.2025
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'Incredibly rare' king penguin sighting at Otago beach
A rare sighting of a king penguin on an Otago beach has been described as a "once in a lifetime opportunity". The penguin popped into Pipikaretu Beach while the Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance was hosting a tour at the private eco-reserve on Monday. Alliance director Jerad Haldan said there have been less than 10 sightings of king penguins reported in New Zealand. "It is incredibly rare," he said.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.04.2025
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Delight over discovery of 'cute' Gollum galaxias fish in Southland stream
Department of Conservation rangers working in the Waimatuku Stream near Invercargill have discovered it's teeming with a threatened species of fish. Named after the Lord of the Rings character Gollum, the Gollum galaxias fish is known for its large eyes, short, stocky body and blunt, rounded snout. DOC river ranger Pat Hoffman said it was an exciting find. In the right light, the fish seemed to have a gold gleam.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.04.2025
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Thrifty tips to get the most from your veggie box
Seasonal plenty or cooking conundrum? This episode of RNZ podcast Thrift looks at getting creative with vegetables. Wherever your veggie box comes from, what they all tend to have in common is that you don't always know what's going to be in them. That's good because it means you're eating seasonal vegetables, and usually that keeps the price of the box down. But it's not so good if you don't have a clue what to do with them.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.04.2025
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RNZ celebrates 100 years - where to now for the national broadcaster?
One hundred years ago, New Zealanders had their first chance to connect with a revolutionary form of mass communication - a national radio service. The New Zealand Radio Broadcasting Company, formed in 1925, laid the foundations for what became RNZ. It has been a proud century of keeping Kiwis connected, informed and entertained, in good times and bad. The challenge remains to serve NZ audiences with useful information they can trust.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.04.2025
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Giant sea spiders, icefish with white blood found after iceberg the size of Chicago breaks off
Giant sea spiders, icefish with milky-white blood and 200 year-old coral communities are some of the creatures scientists came across when an iceberg the size of Chicago broke off. Thom Linley, a deep-sea fish expert and a curator of fishes at Te Papa was the only New Zealander on board the ship run by US research organisation Schmidt Institute as it headed towards the Bellingshausen Sea by Antarctica in January.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 11.04.2025
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Meerkat pups Auckland Zoo's first litter in more than a decade
Auckland Zoo has welcomed its first meerkat litter in more than a decade. Four pups were born in-habitat last month, bringing the zoo's meerkat collection to seven. Their mother is Adia, who arrived at the zoo in November. Carnivore keeper Torey Stevens said the two-and-a-half week old pups - which resemble "miniature versions of their parents" - are healthy, strong and curious.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 10.04.2025
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Stretching the Limits: Wild Dunedin festival claims national mass yoga record
A sea of yoga mats filled Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin as 623 people moved through downward dog in unison on Sunday, setting a new national record for the largest yoga gathering, according to event organisers. The one-hour mass yoga session launched the NatureDome celebration, part of the Wild Dunedin Festival of Nature.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.04.2025
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Javanese puppet theatre steals the show at Stratford Shakespeare Festival
In a twist The Bard himself would've be proud of, a Javanese shadow theatre is a star turn at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Taranaki. The intricate puppets - accompanied by a gamelan ensemble - tell the story of an evil king, the beautiful woman he desires and a heroic warrior disguised as a priest who saves her.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 11.04.2025
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Rare native plant thriving after Tāngarākau Gorge road works discovery
When an extremely rare native plant was discovered during road works on the iconic Forgotten World Highway, SH43, local iwi leapt into action. The nationally endangered plant Brachyglottis turneri, or Manawa Kawa, as it has been named by iwi, is similar to an orchid with a heart-shaped leaf and small yellow flower that blooms from November to December.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 10.04.2025
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Christchurch wildlife park welcomes birth of two zebra
Christchurch's Orana Wildlife Park has welcomed the birth of two zebra. The pair are the first new foals at the park in more than 30 years. Exotic species manager Craig Gilchrist said the team was excited about the new kids on the block. "Herbie is nearly four months old; he's cheeky, full of personality, and growing fast," Gilchrist said.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 09.04.2025
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Little spotted kiwi to return to Nelson after almost 100 years
Twenty years after the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary was established in Nelson, it's set to become home to a species of kiwi that had long been considered functionally extinct in the South Island. Approximately 40 little spotted kiwi, or kiwi pukupuku, are being translocated into the sanctuary from Kapiti Island in early May. The vision of the original founders to see the return of kiwi to Nelson had been made possible due volunteers and staff.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 09.04.2025
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Hawke's Bay tenor lands spot in prestigious Royal Opera
Despite knowing the news for a while, Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono is still pinching himself. "I’m just still in shock trying to make sense of it all. It's all coming to life now, it's all becoming reality.” Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono is one of a handful of 600 applicants to be accepted into The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Artist Programme. He’s been keeping the news under his hat for a while, he told RNZ’s Midday Report.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.04.2025
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The finalists for the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards
Stan Walker and CHAII lead nominations for the awards that celebrate New Zealand's music industry. Stan Walker and CHAII are leading the nominations for the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards. Soulful pop artist Walker is up for five awards including Best Solo Artist and Best Māori artist. He is also in the running for Single of the Year for ‘Māori Ki Te Ao’, Best Soul RnB Artist, and the Mana Reo, an award for recordings at least 50 percent in te reo Māori.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.04.2025
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Southland retiree takes injured night birds under her wing
Gloria Harris has been running a nohinohi little owl and ruru morepork rescue service for 30 years. "I've probably cared for close to 300 birds," she told Country Life proudly. Recovering birds are homed in aviaries overlooking a flock of sheep on her 10-hectare farmlet near Invercargill. When Country Life called in she was about to catch and weigh a little owl that was found in the middle of the road after being hit by a car.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.04.2025
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Polyfest is shaping educational futures for New Zealands's Pacific youth, says tutor
At ASB Polyfest, Pacific students wear vibrant costumes, move to rhythmic drumbeats, and perform with pride. But behind the spectacle, they are also building confidence, sharpening academic skills, and finding a sense of belonging often missing in traditional classrooms. "When I started, I started as an insecure teenager. I couldn't speak any of my languages. You know, I couldn't speak Niuean, I couldn't speak Samoan, I couldn't speak Tongan,"
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 07.04.2025
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Sculpture, a language unique to the maker
Between recording his five-hour-long full-render sessions for his online sculpting workshops, to casting hundreds of his signature figurative pieces, Javier Murcia has been up against time, and that's nothing new. A scan around his studio and it's easy to see how prolific he has been. Javier's best known for figurative sculpture, a testimony to his acute understanding of the human body and movement - from the poses to the proportion.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 07.04.2025
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A Minecraft Movie: Kiwi-shot film is low-stakes fun for kids
A room full of kids were totally immersed in the fantasy world of A Minecraft Movie at the NZ premiere, and that's got to tell you something. This film has been a long time coming. Plans for an adaptation of the beloved video game Minecraft kicked off in 2014. A decade on, in a real treat for Kiwi fans, the entire film shot was shot in New Zealand.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.04.2025
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New hospital technology a world first
A world-first mass spectrometer will improve testing services for people throughout Aotearoa. The Agilent Infinity III 6475 mass spectrometer was installed in Canterbury Health Laboratories (CHL) in Christchurch in December. A mass spectrometer determined the mass of molecules in a sample. In healthcare applications it could be used to measure tiny amounts of chemicals in blood samples.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.04.2025
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Restoring early nineteenth century bakehouse a three-decade community project
Restoring an early nineteenth century bakehouse brought the Millers Flat community together. Now, it brings history to life for locals and visitors alike. Hilary McKenzie, a trustee on the restoration project, spoke to Greer Paterson for Shepherdess magazine about what the bakehouse means to the town. "There is so much value in having a meeting place for people to just sit and talk about their place and their stories," says Hilary Mckenzie, 63.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.04.2025
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Fly Ferns prepare to tackle world's best anglers in United States
The Fly Ferns are testing their fishing rods and reels as they prepare to tackle the world's best in Idaho Falls later this year. The six dedicated anglers of the New Zealand women's team are clocking up the training hours on the world class waterways of the Central North Island. The team is led by captain Rachel McNae who calls the waters of the Tongariro River and Lake Taupō her home territory.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.04.2025
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New Zealand start-up aims to take space transport to new heights
Dawn Aerospace aims to make transporting things to space - whether supplies to the ISS or pharmaceuticals for testing - cheaper, faster and greener. It has all the qualities of an aircraft but with its rocket engine, the Dawn Mk-II Aurora can fly faster and higher than any jet. "We have a real path to this being the first vehicle that flies to 100 km altitude - the border of space - twice in a day," says Stefan Powell, a co-founder of Dawn Aerospace.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 05.04.2025
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Dream garden becomes labour of love for dahlia devotee Vanessa Robinson
Ask Canterbury dahlia devotee Vanessa Robinson to pick her favourite and you might be surprised to hear her say 'Pooh'. Happily, her choice is not as unappealing as it sounds, rather a pretty and playful Winnie-the-Pooh-inspired collarette, admired for its bright red-orange petals and yellow ruffle. Robinson said 'Pooh' resembled a burst of sunshine, bringing a smile to everyone's face.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.04.2025
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