The Long Read from Stuff

Combining dance bangers with a full orchestra, Synthony promises Gen X nostalgics their best night out in years. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written and read by Steve Kilgallon Produced by Jen Black Audio editing by Connor Scott Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...

A postcode lottery means some people are more likely to survive cancer than others. People in the likes of Invercargill or Rotorua are given less access to healthcare than those in Auckland or Christchurch. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written by Kristie Boland Produced and read...

Caroline Szembrener, a Massey University researcher, believes current approaches to treating eating disorders are simply not working for some people. Therapy with horses teaches patients to be present and to reconnect with their bodies. WARNING: This podcast contains references to mental health, suicide, and eating disorders, which may be distressing for some listeners. For free help, text or call...

Cemeteries across Christchurch have faced neglect, vandalism, and damage over time. But whose job is it to look after cemeteries? Is it worth the time and money, when the city’s living have their own urgent needs? Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written and read by Philip Matthews...

In 1998, David Robinson, a drifter and petty criminal, was found dead on a West Coast beach. With few clues about how he died, or why, the investigation petered out. But now, police have what every cold case craves – a new suspect. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written by Sam She...

NZ's baby scoop era marks a dark time in our country's history, where children were stolen from their mothers under a state-know-best policy. WARNING: This podcast contains references to mental health, suicide, and abuse, which may be distressing for some listeners. For free help, text or call 1737, 24 hours. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? W...

From Northland to the Catlins, thousands of Kiwis give up their homes, gardens, and time to help the Danaus plexippus butterfly, more commonly known as the monarch butterfly. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written and read by Nikki Macdonald Produced by Jen Black Audio editing by...

The Kings Arms became a hub of metal, punk, indie, and reggae scenes throughout its 198 years in Newton, Auckland. There hasn't been a venue to fill its hole in the music scene since it closed in 2018. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written by Steve Kilgallon Read by Elmo Johnston...

Father Damian Carlile was sent to Aotearoa after he was accused of sexual abuse in Gabon, Africa. But then allegations about altar boys in Whanganui arose in the early 2000s. WARNING: This podcast discusses abuse, which may be distressing for some listeners. For free help, text or call 1737, 24 hours. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re lis...

Charmaine Wolmarans is a self-described animal rescue vigilante whose carefully crafted public image suggests she does it for the love of the pets she takes in. But why does she have so many “haters”?  Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written by Tony Wall and Caroline Williams Read...

Since the Lord of the Rings trilogy, New Zealand's screen industry has flourished, spotlighting its breathtaking landscapes and talented workforce. Challenges may remain for the industry, like the need for stable rebates for screen productions, but the future looks bright for the next generation of workers. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’...

One trainer calls it the McDonald’s of fitness. He’s not being insulting. What he means is wherever you go in the world, the quarter pounder with cheese is the same. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written and read by Steve Kilgallon Produced by Jen Black Audio editing: Connor Scot...

A surge in the popularity of vaping nicotine, especially among young Kiwis, has left a cloud over Aotearoa's smokefree ambitions. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written and read by Jonathan Killick Produced by Philippa Tolley Audio editing: Connor Scott Learn more about your ad ch...

Women make up over 50% of Aotearoa’s homeless population. And yet they are often overlooked - because they aren’t seen. Advocates say unless gendered issues are specifically addressed, women will continue to fall through the gaps. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written by Hanna Mc...

Frances Rawling lived in the ruins of an abandoned suburb in east Christchurch. When she passed, her body remained undiscovered in the red zone for weeks. The mystery of her life - and why she stayed living in the ruins of an abandoned suburb - are still being unravelled.  Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongre...

SH25A connects one side of the Coromandel peninsula to the other and was closed after extensive cyclone damage. For 10 months communities were isolated and businesses struggled while repair work was completed on SH25A. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written by Annemarie Quill Read...

Kim Hill is well known for her many years of service at RNZ and her fearless interview style. She left her Saturday Morning slot in November 2023 after 21 years in the role. Senior Journalist Adam Dudding reflects on Hill's career and discusses her legacy. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  C...

On the face of it, there appeared little reason why anyone would want the pensioner, Alfred Anderson, dead. Although police have a possible DNA profile of the 64-year-old’s killer - once dubbed the “Savage Sydenham Slasher” - a suspect has died, and his family has refused to cooperate. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us...

Previously described as an officer who served with distinction, former cop Reece Marshall says he wouldn't change anything about the actions that saw him prosecuted. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written by Marty Sharpe Read by Elmo Johnstone Produced by Jen Black Audio editing:...

In the vacuum of Covid, stranded US musician Amanda Palmer found community and controversy in New Zealand. She explains how she got through those days of personal and public turmoil to become an accidental semi-Kiwi. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written and read by Adam Dudding...

The medicinal cannabis industry is booming globally, while in New Zealand, industry figures and users alike struggle with intense regulations, high costs and other barriers, relegating most people to the black market.  Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written and read by Keiller Mac...

The phenomenon known as 'psuedolaw' is clogging up courts around New Zealand. Researchers describe it as a parallel legal system with rules and practices that vaguely represent the actual legal system, except no legal practitioner would recognise it as legally authoritative.  Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelon...

Christchurch Landlord Lee Bennett has been called a "Scumlord" for his unhealthy and damaged rentals. However, he says he’s just doing his best for the suburb others abandoned after the earthquakes by providing affordable rentals. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written and read by...

Jonah Franke-Bowell is now a journalist but for months amid the pandemic he was working on New Zealand’s railway, learning how to lay tracks, finding the best provincial sandwich, and making friends along the way. This is his story. Need more great podcasts? Check out Stuff's full catalogue here. GET IN TOUCH Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at thelongread@stuff.co.nz  CREDITS Written by Jonah...

In 1902, the SS Ventnor sank off Hokianga harbour, carrying the remains of nearly 500 Chinese goldminers being returned to their villages. The ship’s discovery in 2013 has sparked a decade of accusation, and antagonism towards those who helped find it. Now, that group’s side of the story has been told, but it’s done little to quell a controversy involving the Chinese community, iwi, top government...