RNZ

First Up Podcast

News EN ↓ 746 episodes

The best of each day's First Up, with Nathan Rarere. If listening at 5am is too early, then check out our favourite stories of the morning at a time that suits you.

Author

RNZ

Category

News

Podcast website

www.rnz.co.nz

Latest episode

Jun 7, 2026

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Episodes

First Up - The Podcast, Wednesday 6 August 05.08.2025

On today's First Up pod: Alex Baird has the very latest from the Middle East; in business we hear about a big spike in the number of over 50s looking for work, meanwhile, with long wait lists for surgery here in Aotearoa - producer Ross McNaughton talks to Kiwis travelling as far as Turkey for health treatment. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

First Up - The Podcast, Tuesday 5 August 04.08.2025

On today's First Up pod: our correspondent Chris Gilbert explains why pressure is growing on the Japanese Prime Minister to resign; in we hear about a 91 year old council candidate who's actually following his friends' advice NOT to spend his most of his remaining years at council board tables and the government's planning to replace NCEA, we ask uni students what their experience was like at high...

First Up - The Podcast, Monday 4 August 03.08.2025

On today's First Up pod: producer Ross McNaughton finds out how much Netball NZ is paying for TVNZ to broadcast ANZ championship games; we have the fresh juice from Minister Glenn Forsyth at the produce markets and reporter Ke-Xin Li looks at the rules around medical certificates and sick notes. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

First Up - The Podcast, Friday 1 August 31.07.2025

On today's First Up pod: we have all the very latest news from South Asia and the US; Fruit of the Week with Glenn Forsyth; we catch up with the perfectly named running champ Lisa Cross - who's at the New Zealand Cross Country Champs this weekend and we meet a team of trained ferrets - leading the charge in the battle against Queenstown's exploding rabbit population. First Up - Voice of the Nathan...

First Up - The Podcast, Wednesday 30 July 29.07.2025

On today's First Up pod: the UK announces it will recognise the state of Palestine at the UN in September; the World Press photo exhibition has opened in Auckland, with thought provoking images from international photojournalists... the curator takes us on a tour and with high unemployment and competition for jobs - reporter Ke Xin Li finds out about ageism in the workforce in Aotearoa. First Up -...

First Up - The Podcast, Monday 21 July 20.07.2025

On today's First Up pod: rugby could be the latest game to get the Saudi sports-washing treatment, producer Ross McNaughton looks at what R360 is all about; we look back to a musical moment that shocked the world and reporter Ke Xin Li asks Auckland office workers what working from home means to them. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

First Up - The Podcast, Friday 18 July 17.07.2025

On today's First Up pod: we have latest from Trump's USA as MAGA bite back over the Epstein files; the latest boxing heavyweight decider is here - Oleksander Usyk and Daniel Dubois in the ring this weekend with Kiwi fighter Joseph Parker watching in the wings; and we hear from recently retired principal Maurie Abraham about how Modern Learning Environments worked well at his secondary school. Firs...

First Up - The Podcast, Thursday 17 July 16.07.2025

On today's First Up pod: Australian news and in the UK we hear about the fallout from huge data breach from Britain's Ministry of Defence; Labour's Willow-Jean Prime talks about open plan classrooms and New Plymouth is winning the war on rats. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

First Up - The Podcast, Tuesday 15 July 14.07.2025

On today's First Up pod: In South Korea, medical students have gone back to class after a boycott of more than a year; we celebrate the birthday of a Dutch artist who turned black paint into magic; Nicola Willis talk about electricity, and Australian police trying to take our cops and Tess Brunton checks out a seaside suburb in Dunedin, to find a taste of Italy. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

First Up - The Podcast, Tuesday 8 July 07.07.2025

On today's First Up pod: the jury yesterday reached a verdict in the mushroom murder trial - and Erin Patterson has been found guilty on all charges; it's 20 years since the July 7th suicide bomb attacks in London, we find out how it's being remembered and health minister Simeon Brown tells us why Commissioner Lester Levy is staying on as the chair of Health New Zealand. First Up - Voice of the Na...

First Up - The Podcast, Friday 4 July 03.07.2025

On today's First Up pod: we have the latest on the weather which has been hitting hard across the country overnight; Glenn Forsyth's here with Fruit of the Week and in rugby league, teachers and police by day, Warriors by night! We meet the women returning to the NRLW. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

First Up - The Podcast, Tuesday 1 July 30.06.2025

On today's First Up pod: Selwyn District Council claims it has "the lowest rates" in Canterbury, but not everyone is convinced; we have the latest from overnight with our correspondents including Henry Riley in London where that heatwave is moving up from Spain and raising temperatures in the UK and Finance minister Nicola Willis tells us she has NOT failed to fix FamilyBoost. First Up - Voice of...

First Up - The Podcast, Monday 23 June 22.06.2025

On today's First Up pod: one business in Queenstown just had at least 400 people line up for one of their jobs on offer; the Minister is here with the best fruit and vege for your dollar and the latest from the US and Europe on reaction to the United States carrying out air strikes on Iran. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

First Up - The Podcast, Thursday 19 June 18.06.2025

On today's First Up pod: the power moves and mind games have begun ahead of this weekend's Super Rugby final - our reporter Adam Burns talks to fans on the street in Christchurch; Labour MP Willie Jackson is here to catch up on the week in politics - sick leave, census and more and hangi master Rewi Spraggon is cooking a Matariki feast at Government House. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

First Up - The Podcast, Wednesday 18 June 17.06.2025

On today's First Up pod: our Middle East correspondent Alex Baird has the latest on the conflict between Iran and Israel; astronomer and educator Josh Aoraki reminds us how to look for Matariki and Puanga in the sky this Maori New Year and Super Rugby Pacific chief executive Jack Mesley is here for the grand final - he tells us what's planned for fans next year First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

First Up - The Podcast, Tuesday 17 June 16.06.2025

On today's First Up pod: we have news and reaction from around the world as the G7 summit kicks off in Canada; its a very important day for the lovers of the chocolate chip cookie and finance minister Nicola Willis says the plans to change sick leave are about being clear. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

First Up - The Podcast, Friday 13 June 12.06.2025

On today's First Up pod with Melissa Chan-Green: We have the latest from the Air India crash in Ahmedabad.. where at least 290 people have been confirmed dead; US correspondent Bevan Hurley talks to us about this weekend's planned protests against President Trump on his birthday; apparently everyone's talking about our gin, thanks to a Coromandel distiller and we hear from the Chiefs, ahead of the...

First Up - The Podcast, Thursday 12 June 11.06.2025

On today's First Up pod: we check in with our people around the world, around the regions, and talk politics with Labour deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni; at Fieldays, Barry Dawe chats about the ride-on lawn mower racing and golfing legend Ryan Fox joins us - fresh from winning the Canadian Open, and now he's getting to know the greens in Pennsylvania ahead of the US Open First Up - Voice of the Nath...

First Up - The Podcast, Tuesday 10 June 09.06.2025

On today's First Up pod: One week into the reign of South Korea's new president, we get an update on his progress; we hear the sad news that hosiery manufacturer Columbine is shutting up their factory in Gisborne; we talk about Ryan Fox's superb win at the Canadian Open and we ask Finance Minister Nicola Willis what's next for our supermarket duopoly. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

First Up - The Podcast, Monday 9 June 08.06.2025

On today's First Up pod: Donald Trump has sent National Guard soldiers to Los Angeles - US correspondent Katherine Firkin has the latest; we're into the semis of Super Rugby Pacific now, one Aussie team in the mix - we talk sport and our reporter Ke Xin Li visits Auckland's urgent care clinics, where it's from 60 to 130 dollars, depending where you go. And those fees hit hard for some. First Up -...

First Up - The Podcast, Friday 6 June 05.06.2025

On today's First Up pod: what is a cherimoya? We explore the world of produce with the Minister of Fruit and Veggies Glenn Forsyth; we get the latest from around the planet with our correspondents in Africa and in North America as the world responds to President Trump's travel ban on 12 countries and as we settle into winter, how are those winter illnesses tracking? Doctor Allan Moffitt joins us t...

First Up - The Podcast, Wednesday 4 June 03.06.2025

On today's First Up pod: Finance Minister Nicola Willis goes in to bat for her colleague Chris Bishop as the government takes a bat to road cones; Pam Corkery has all the news from across the ditch, including the latest from the mushroom murder trial and we hear from the whanau of Makareti Papakura and find out how she ended up being the first indigenous woman to study at Oxford University. First...

First Up - The Podcast, Wednesday 28 May 27.05.2025

On today's First Up pod: Kiwi student Samuel Taylor is studying at Harvard University - but the US government crackdown means he may lose his visa; this week in the world of Trade Me, there's a vintage 90s Barbie doll with crystals up for grabs and just a couple of months 'til the Women's Rugby World Cup, we talk to Ella Ferguson about the Black Ferns' victory over the USA, and we look at what's a...

First Up - the Podcast, Tuesday 27 May 26.05.2025

On today's First Up pod: King Charles is visiting his realm of Canada, UK correspondent Henry Riley has the details; finance minister Nicola Willis joins us for her regular catch up and stack em up or knock em down? We look at the debate over rock cairns in New Zealand's tourism hotspots. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

First Up - The Podcast, Wednesday 21 May 20.05.2025

On today's First Up pod: a signed copy of Taylor Swift's latest album is up for grabs on Trade Me, in CD format - so you might want to also bid on an old CD player there too; and do you use a water filter at home? Our reporter Ke Xin Li visits an Auckland water treatment plant to see how they clean up what falls from the sky to make it safe for drinking. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

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