Aotearoa NZ 2026
(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.”
Marlon Williams plays hits and breaks hearts at emotional Auckland show
“It's nice not touring an album, not feeling like a tribute artist to myself,” Marlon Williams tells the audience on the first night of his final tour. Not surprisingly, the air of excitement and anticipation for this nearly sold-out show was palpable. In February, Williams announced he would be taking a break from music after nearly two decades of touring and recording. In recent months he has taken his waiata Māori around the world.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 22.05.2026
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Kākāriki karaka parents produce 55 chicks in breeding programme
They've only been together since 2024, but Kākāriki karaka orange fronted parakeet parents Nacho and Trixie have already produced 55 chicks, 33 of those this season alone. The pair are part of the captive breeding programme at The Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust (ICWT). Wayne Beggs, the Kākāriki karaka recovery programme lead at DOC said the pair are doing more than their bit for the survival of their species.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 22.05.2026
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Fat Freddy's Drop bag iconic prize at Aotearoa Music Awards
The beloved eight-piece band is being acknowledged for its massive chart success over its decades-long career. New Zealand supergroup Fat Freddy's Drop will receive the Charts Icon award at the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards (AMAs). The award, in its second year, is given to a local artist who boasts outstanding success in the official charts over an extended period. Last year's winner was Six60.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 21.05.2026
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University of Canterbury's space lab ready for lift-off
Researchers from the University of Canterbury have created a shoebox-sized laboratory designed to help develop better medicines in space. The fully-automated lab means biotechnology experiments can be conducted in microgravity, between Earth's gravity and space's zero gravity. The lab is currently being prepared for testing aboard NZ-Dutch company Dawn Aerospace's reusable unmanned spaceplane.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.05.2026
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Listen to fresh music while you do your laundry in new Auckland installation
Fresh Laundry has turned old washing machines into jukeboxes, spinning unreleased 'C Sides' by New Zealand artists at laundromats across the city. Aucklanders can listen to tunes while waiting for their washing courtesy of art installation Fresh Laundry. Fresh Laundry put out an open call in February asking artists for songs “dying on their hard drives", artist and musician Jefferson Chen, AKA Goodspace told RNZ’s Culture 101.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.05.2026
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First ever stone skimming champions crowned in Lake Hāwea
An Australian with a calling and an Auckland radio host running on pure determination are the newly crowned national champions of stone skimming. In pristine conditions, hundreds flocked to a remote corner of Lake Hāwea on Saturday to watch or toss a rock at the inaugural national competition. Abbey McDonald, an Australian living in Queenstown, described her decision to enter the event as a feeling of destiny.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.05.2026
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Te Atiawa opens high-end development on former colonial parade ground
Te Atiawa has opened a high-end townhouse development on an inner-city site in New Plymouth where colonial troops once assembled for inspection. Pukekura / The Parade features 36 two-storied two and three-bedroom homes, located just 500m from the CBD. Taonga pūoro and karakia ring out at first light as the multimillion dollar project is unveiled.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.05.2026
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Book showing New Zealand's flowers in 3D wins Ockham award
The winning book showcases Aotearoa's native blooms in stereo-vision. New Zealand’s flowers are often described as "small and green and insignificant”, but an award-winning botanist and author says they have complex stories. Professor of botany Philip Garnock-Jones captured 100 of 2200 native flowers of NZ in his book He Puāwai, A Natural History of New Zealand Flowers
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.05.2026
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'Unique' 360-degree film festival hits Wellington
The best films from Australia's Dome Under Film Festival (DUFF) will be projected on to the Wellington planetarium dome. Wellington's planetarium will trade galaxies for films as it hosts the only 360-degree film festival, a first for the city. Originating from the Melbourne Planetarium which has been running the festival for six years, this year Space Place will screen Best Of The Fest with eight award-winning or highly commended films from (DUFF).
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.05.2026
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Short story collection wins New Zealand's biggest book prize
Ingrid Horrocks has won the major prize at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards for her fiction debut, All Her Lives. Wellington essayist Ingrid Horrocks has won the major prize at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards for her fiction debut, All Her Lives. The collection, which follows nine different women across nine different life stages, has won the $65,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize, announced at a ceremony in Auckland on Wednesday night.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.05.2026
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Scientists bring one of New Zealand's rarest plants back from the brink
One of New Zealand's rarest plant species is getting another shot at survival, after plummeting to just two known plants in the wild. About 250 Craspedia argentea seedlings are this week being planted at Mahaka Katia Scientific Reserve in Central Otago following years of painstaking hand-pollination, propagation and care by conservationists and botanists.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.05.2026
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Ten little spotted kiwi transferred from Zealandia to Hawke's Bay
Ten little spotted kiwi are being taken to Hawke's Bay tonight from the Zealandia sanctuary in Wellington. They will be released into Cape Sanctuary's 130-hectare kiwi enclosure tonight, in an effort improve the genetic diversity of the sanctuary's growing kiwi population. A Zealandia spokesperson said the 10 kiwi were placed in large wooden boxes lined with ferns, and known pairs were kept in the same box together.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 13.05.2026
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Centuries-old Māori warrior's cloak returned to Aotearoa
The return of a centuries-old Māori warrior's cloak to Aotearoa New Zealand has brought surprise, intrigue, and an ancestral connection for the traditional Māori weaving experts studying it. The cloak, a pauku, is one of only seven warrior cloaks known to exist around the world, and it's the first to return home. Dr Kahutoi Te Kanawa, pou ārahi, curator Māori, at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, said the pauku is a "living treasure".
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.05.2026
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Britain and Ireland’s wildflowers – in pictures
The Eden Project’s National Wildflower Centre is opening entries for its Wildflower Photographer of the Year 2026 competition on 29 May. The contest showcases images of some of Britain and Ireland’s 1,600 wildflower species, and a selection of photos from last year’s competition will be on display at Eden Dock, Canary Wharf, London, during CWG’s Nature Week, from 13 July
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Source. theguardian.com, 11.05.2026
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Department of Conservation expects high demand for Great Walks as bookings open
Bookings for the Great Walks start to open on Tuesday with the Department of Conservation expecting strong demand. The Paparoa Track is the first to open on Tuesday followed by the Milford Track on Wednesday. Last year, the department (DOC) upgraded its online booking system to include a virtual queue to help manage peak demand.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.05.2026
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Wellington tetraplegic man climbs equivalent of Mt Everest in a year
A Wellington man who severely injured his spine and is tetraplegic has climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest in a year. Andrew Leslie walked to the top of Mount Kaukau 35 times in the past 12 months as part of his rehabilitation. Six years ago, Leslie injured his spinal cord in a mountain bike accident. He spent five months in hospital and had to learn to navigate life as a tetraplegic.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.05.2026
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First-ever stone skimming national championship to take place this month
New Zealand's best stone skimmers will have the chance to show off their talents on the shores of Wānaka's Lake Hāwea on Saturday. Organiser of the Aotearoa Stone Skimming Championship, Richie Laming, told First Up the lake was a perfect spot for the event at 400m deep with some "lovely Otago stones just made for skimming". Laming said money raised by the event would be going to Melanoma NZ.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 11.05.2026
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Women in Trades expo in Inglewood opening unexpected career opportunities
Dozens of Taranaki teenagers have jumped behind the controls of heavy equipment at an event designed to encourage young women to consider trades careers. Organisers of the 'Women in Trades' showcase in Inglewood say women are valued employees, but many are missing out on six-figure salaries by not considering a life on the tools. It might not be as intimidating, with one young potential recruit comparing working a digger to gaming.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.05.2026
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A clifftop rescue adds to kākāpō chick numbers
Days of tunnelling, an uncertain outcome, a welcome find - it has been high drama on Te Kākahu / Chalky Island as the 2026 kākāpō breeding season comes to a close. At the end of March the Department of Conservation's (DOC) Kākāpō Recovery Programme announced that this year was officially the biggest kākāpō breeding season on record. The final tally of chicks hatched was said to be 'at least' 105, which was a somewhat imprecise.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 07.05.2026
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Chinese art exhibition reflects transformative modern times
Hundreds visited Auckland Art Gallery over the weekend to view more than 60 works by 42 Chinese artists that included photography, sculptures, installations, moving images and new media. Titled Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now, the exhibition is the first major survey of Chinese contemporary art displayed in Auckland on this scale. The exhibition features work by some of China's best-known contemporary artists, including Ai Weiwei, Xu Zhen. Click her for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.05.2026
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Samoan choreographers behind Michael Jackson biopic proud of Pacific roots
The lead choreographers for the new Michael Jackson biopic say it's an honour to represent the Pacific as the film smashes box office records worldwide. The film traces the rise of Michael Jackson, from child star to becoming one of the most influential artist in the world. Michael choreographers Rich and Tone Talauega played an essential role training the lead actor Jaafar Jackson, who is Michael Jackson's nephew.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 01.05.2026
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Kids TV is broken - Can Suzy Cato fix it?
Cato's remake of the classic New Zealand show You & Me comes up against multi-billion-dollar franchises like Paw Patrol and Bluey. There’s something about beloved child entertainer Suzy Cato’s return to television programming that reminds me of Mary Poppins Returns. You probably didn’t see the movie, so let me explain. The Banks children are all grown up and find themselves in a pickle with life and raising their own kids.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.05.2026
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Comet visible in NZ skies for the next week, then gone for 170,000 years
A comet never seen before is lighting up the Southern Hemisphere. The Oort cloud comet - known as C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS - will be visible in New Zealand skies for the next week. Te Whatu Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki told RNZ it can be seen about an hour after sunset. Good weather was critical for viewing the comet, so checking the forecast in advance is a good idea, he said.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.05.2026
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Bilingual singer Geneva AM: 'I just want to keep making music and uniting everybody'
Geneva Alexander-Masters honours the history of Māori songwriting on her Taite Award-winning debut album Pikipiki. Geneva AM (aka Geneva Alexander-Masters) thought she was done with putting her feelings into music after fronting the alt-electronic band SoccerPractise. Then, in 2023, she gave birth to her son at home on Waiheke Island during level four lockdown.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.05.2026
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Kiwi joins all-female voyage to tackle plastics problem in the Pacific
Rāwinia Wikaira has seen the impact of ocean pollution first hand in the waters wher her tupuna (ancestors) would regularly collect seafood. An international crew of 10 women, including one New Zealander, have set off on a sailing expedition to trace plastic in the ocean in the South Pacific. Their first stop is Aotea Great Barrier Island, where they will conduct a plastic cleanup. From there, they will sail to the Bay of Islands.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 30.04.2026
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Kiwi bird steps into Parliament to celebrate Capital Kiwi project growth
New Zealand's national icon has set foot in Parliament for the first time as Wellington's burgeoning kiwi population was celebrated in the wake of the final birds being translocated for the project this week. After years of predator control on over more than 23,000 hectares, Capital Kiwi returned kiwi to Wellington for the first time in at least a century back in 2022.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.04.2026
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The gallantry of Kiwi soldiers immortalised in a tiny French town
In a medieval town 20,000 kilometres away there's an inscription on a war memorial that says New Zealanders restored Le Quesnoy to France. They did not conquer the town, they did not invade it. They made it French once again. New Zealand's last battle took place a week before the end of World War I, on 4 November, 1918. Not one civilian died but nearly 200 Kiwi soldiers lost their lives, a sacrifice the people of Le Quesnoy have never forgotten.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.04.2026
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Kapa haka event in Marlborough draws thousands
Thousands of people gathered in Blenheim for Kia Hūkere te Hoe this week, the biggest kapa haka event ever held in Marlborough. It was a celebration of a performance art that's become so popular in Te Tauihu (the top of the South), there wasn't enough room for all the teams that wanted to perform. The event was the regional qualifier for next year's national primary schools competition, Te Mana Kuratahi, & the premier kapa haka event.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 24.04.2026
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Historic Anzac ceremony to go ahead despite weather damage
Weather related disruption to water supplies in a small lower North Island settlement will not impact its historically significant Anzac Day commemoration on Saturday. Up to 500 people were expected to attend the traditional Anzac ceremony in Tīnui, with event organisers confirming all contingencies had been planned for. Tīnui is considered to be the site of the first formal Anzac service in April 1916, held in its town hall.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 24.04.2026
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Nearly 1000 chicks fledged at Oamaru's blue penguin colony
It's been a bumper season for little blue penguins with nearly 1000 chicks fledged at Oamaru's blue penguin colony. That's up from last year's 600. Environmental team lead Henry Elsom told Checkpoint the penguins were looking "fantastic". "They all seem to be in really really good conditions, so we are hoping its going to be another great breading season on the cards."
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.04.2026
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New Zealand's breakthrough artist of the year finalists revealed
MĀ and Borderline add another nomination to their lists at this year's Aotearoa Music Awards, as they go up against Shane Walker and Te Wehi for the breakthrough Tūī. Indie pop group Borderline faces up against alt singer-songwriter MĀ, award-winner Shane Walker and Whakatāne fencer-turned-reggae singer Te Wehi for this year's prize for breakthrough artist at the Aotearoa Music Awards (AMAs).
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 23.04.2026
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The postcard that made its way home to Dunedin after 116 years
"Dear Little Alison, Another postie for your book. I wonder if you can put it in for yourself - or perhaps you had better ask mother or nursie. Love from Dorothy." A postcard featuring two wahine by a river was sent from Dorothy Theomin to her cousin Allison Hallenstein, of the Hallenstein retail dynasty, in 1910 during her travels in the North Island. It read: Dear Little Alison, Another postie for your book. I wonder if you can put it in for yourself - or perhaps.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 17.04.2026
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Marlon Williams, Lorde, Tami Neilson: Aotearoa Music Awards 2026 finalists revealed
Marlon Williams leads with seven nominations. Others facing a big night at the awards include Lorde, Tom Scott and Tami Neilson. Folk singer Marlon Williams signs off his final months in the spotlight with a swag of seven nominations at the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards. Williams first fully te reo Māori album Te Whare Tīwekaweka is up for album of the year, and song 'Aua Atu Rā’ is nominated for single of the year.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 17.04.2026
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Auckland Curling Club finally gets a dedicated rink
After 30 years of dreaming, Lorne DePape, founding member of the Auckland Curling Club, is finally seeing his wish become reality. "The fact we've now got a dedicated curling rink here in Auckland, [it's] a quantum leap. It's a huge, huge breakthrough because we'll have hundreds and hundreds of young people coming in to curl."His optimism is shared by others at the soft launch of Auckland's own curling rink on Saturday.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 17.04.2026
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Waikato community rallies to gift new home to healthcare worker after house fire
A Waikato community is rallying behind a Māori health worker who lost her home in a fire, with whānau, businesses and volunteers coming together to help deliver her a new whare. Te Kōhao Health is gifting a repurposed house to long-serving kaimahi Billie Gillet-Kati, relocating it to her whenua in Waharoa in the coming weeks. Managing director and health leader Lady Tureiti Moxon said the community effort reflected kaupapa Māori values.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 15.04.2026
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New Zealand's rarest endemic bird - fairy tern - has boost in numbers
The black-headed tara iti/fairy tern - has had a boost in numbers, according to the Department of Conservation. The department (DOC) said a census at the end of March showed the population of the small coastal bird had increased about 15 percent. It said compared to 1983 when there were only three to four breeding pairs - now, there were nearly 50 birds more than one-year-old in the wild and 11 breeding pairs.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.04.2026
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Artemis II sets new record as astronauts travel farther from Earth than ever before
Four astronauts become Earth’s farthest travelled and exceed a 1970 record on the fifth day of the mission. Artemis II astronauts broke Apollo 13’s distance record at 1.57pm eastern time on Monday, hugging each other in the cramped capsule as they made history for being the first four humans to travel the farthest from Earth than anyone before them.
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Source. theguardian.com, 06.04.2026
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Dunedin's Globe Theatre comes full circle for 65th anniversary
Ultra-marathon open-water swimmer Jono Ridler has completed his record-breaking odyssey down the east coast of the North Island, calling New Zealanders to unite against bottom trawling, and been met by crowds of supporters. Ridler began the almost 1400 kilometre slog in North Cape 90 days ago, on 5 January, and finished on Saturday afternoon at Whairepo Lagoon, on the Wellington waterfront.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.04.2026
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Anti-bottom trawling long distance swimmer breaks world record, arrives in Wellington
Ultra-marathon open-water swimmer Jono Ridler has completed his record-breaking odyssey down the east coast of the North Island, calling New Zealanders to unite against bottom trawling, and been met by crowds of supporters. Ridler began the almost 1400 kilometre slog in North Cape 90 days ago, on 5 January, and finished on Saturday afternoon at Whairepo Lagoon, on the Wellington waterfront.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 04.04.2026
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Kids Unplugged struck a nerve at our dinner table
The kid-hosted web series is a mic drop moment for parents whenever a child wheels out the “but every other kid has a phone” defense. It didn’t take long to see evidence that Kids Unplugged had gotten into the brain of my seven-year-old son. The new RNZ web series promotes life outside - mountain biking, sailing, wild kai foraging, etc - away from devices. It’s hosted by the Steel brothers - Malachi (15), Judah (12) and Ezra (7), from the BOP.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 03.04.2026
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Border collie found one week after owner falls down waterfall in alpine backcountry
A dog has been found alive following an extraordinary helicopter search and rescue mission. The rescue of Molly the border collie on Tuesday was the culmination of efforts co-ordinated by Precision Helicopters and funded through donations. Molly became separated from her owner, Jessica Johnston, on 24 March when she fell down a waterfall and was seriously injured in a remote area near the Campbell Bivouac on the scrubline.
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Source. rnz.co.nz, 31.03.2026
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