Holiday Breakfast

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor John Glover joins to sum up the year for the countries leading district in tourism. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Data breaches aren't as uncommon as you'd like to think - if you don't think your passwords are being sold somewhere online you're dreaming! But when it comes to some of your most private data, like doctor's appointment notes and test results, you'd probably be right to be a bit more concerned.  This is the case for users of Manage My Health, a patient portal where up to 120,000 users' data h...

She made history at the 2022 Winter Olympics, bringing home a gold medal in the slopestyle and a silver in the big air.  But after an injury disrupted her 2024, she's once again dominated this year.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The provisional number of road deaths in 2025 is currently 272, down from 292 in 2024.  This marks three years in a row that road deaths have seen a reduction, due in large part to Operation Open Roads.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You wanted to celebrate the new year appropriately, but you don't want the first day of the year to be a complete write-off - so what do you do?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've seen the photos and videos on social media going viral every year, showing the mountains of rubbish that have to be dealt with after every new year's festival. Tents that got hit by the weather, covered in mud, with festival-goers who just don't want to deal with packing it back in their cars.  But the clean up still has to be done, so what happens to all the rubbish left behind? ...

Israel has announced it will stop dozens of humanitarian organisations from working in Gaza from January 1st.  It says these organisations - including Doctors Without Borders - have failed to meet new requirements to hand over details of international staff in the territory.  But the Israeli Embassy says the combined contribution of these organisations make up less than 1% of total aid e...

Tauranga Mayor Mahe Drysdale joins to sum up his second year as mayor, discuss councillors getting a 15.56% raise, and One Love cancelling its 2026 event.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An 81-year-old's smashing stereotypes - choosing DJ decks rather than knitting needles. Molly Pardoe - who goes by the stage name DJ SuperGran - is making history as the oldest performer to take the stage at Gisborne's Rhythm and Vines Festival. She also chairs festival partner charity, SuperGrans Tairawhiti Trust. Pardoe says music has always been part of her life, and this is another chance to t...

One of the country's leading figures, in motorsport is becoming a Knight in today's New Year Honours List.  The country's most successful modern motorsport champion, Scott Dixon, claimed his sixth IndyCar Series championship and his fourth 24 Hours of Daytona victory in 2020.  With 59 victories and six series championships, the “speedster” has been a hero to young fans while tirelessly f...

Three new Dames have made today's New Year Honours List.  Former judge Coral Shaw has led a range of public sector reviews, notably, chairing the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and faith based care. She served as a district court judge before becoming the first female employment court judge from 1999 to 2009. She told Andrew Dickens that her career has been gruelling but rewa...

Leighton Smith is being made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Broadcasting. He hosted the Mornings Show on ZB for 33 years, and after retiring in 2019, he started his podcast which is running to this day.  When asked about his commitment to the industry, he told Andrew Dickens that, "Radio is radio. It represents everything that I that I ever wanted to be, to be perf...

Leading figures, in motorsport, business, medicine and the arts are becoming Knights in today's New Year Honours List.  Xero founder Rod Drury, of Ngāi Tahu, has supported multiple infrastructure and philanthropy projects - particularly in Queenstown Lakes District.  He told Andrew Dickens that the title, "Doesn't kind of roll off the tongue yet, that's for sure." LISTEN ABOVE See omnyst...

New Year's Eve celebrations in Nelson tonight will have a tinge of sadness, as the city marks one year since Police officer Lyn Fleming was killed on the job. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers will be joining beat patrols in the city tonight. Chambers says he wants to back up staff who were working alongside Fleming a year ago, and to remember her. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith told Andrew Dickens th...

Northland local government leaders are reacting cautiously to news of Te Tai Tokerau’s first proposed rates freeze in a decade. The zero-rate increase has been put forward by Northland Regional Council for its 2026/2027 financial year and would affect 100,000 ratepayers. Chairman Pita Tipene told Andrew Dickens that council had been looking for savings and reductions that would not  impact th...

Wind warnings remain in effect across the lower North Island, upper South Island and West Coast. Foxton residents are being asked to urgently conserve water, and thousands of homes are without power in Manawatu, Horowhenua, Kapiti Coast and north of Westport. State Highway 57 is closed south of Palmerston North, and motorists on the Desert Road are being asked to take extra care. MetService foreca...

It's New Year's Eve tomorrow, and many Kiwis will be celebrating the New Year with parties and late nights. However, accidental overdoses and spiked drugs are the major issue with hospital visits for cocaine, ketamine, methamphetamine use.  Know Your Stuff General Manager Casey Spearin told Andrew Dickens that, "We work with the end user to say, 'will you take this?' and if so, let's try and...

Organisers of Gisborne's Rhythm and Vines festival are prepared for every eventuality. Thousands have descended on Waiohika Estate vineyard for the three-day music and camping festival - running since 2003. Festival-goers remain in high spirits - despite heavy rain last night and light rain forecast today. Live Nation Festivals Director Kieran Spillane told Andrew Dickens the team is well prepared...

Safety in central Auckland's back in the spotlight, after Sunday morning's mass brawl on Karangahape Road, leaving three people with serious head injuries. A 21-year-old man's appeared in court, but Police are still looking for other people involved. K Road Community Safety co-founder, Karen Ritchie, told Andrew Dickens that public violence, anti-social behaviour and drug-taking are far too common...

Rain hasn't dampened the party atmosphere at Gisborne's Rhythm and Vines festival. Thousands of festival-goers have descended on Waiohika Estate vineyard for three-day music and camping festival - running since 2003. Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz told Andrew Dickens that locals once loathed the event but it's now embraced by almost everyone. He says the young people who attend bring millions of do...

Over 450 kilometres of Auckland roads will be getting a refresh in the coming weeks as droves of Aucklanders head out of town for summer.  Auckland Transport's head of road maintenance Alan Wallace joined Andrew Dickens to chat about how people can best avoid the roadworks. Wallace said, "everything we're doing, we're trying to do it in a way that minimises how it affects others."  LISTE...

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins says he is confident ahead of next year's election.  He told Andrew Dickens that the party is focused on gaining more confidence from the public, and says he will still be the Labour Leader when the election rolls round.  'Our our public support's been, really building, and we've got some real momentum going into this campaign' LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/...

More attacks from Russia - as the Presidents of the US and Ukraine prepare to hold talks in Florida. Russia has bombarded Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine with strikes by missiles and hundreds of drones - knocking out power and heat in parts of the capital. Kyiv based Foreign Policy and Security Expert, Jimmy Rushton, [told Andrew Dickens that this is a continuing pattern of attacks. He says Russia...

The PPTA says the popularity of school life skills and personal development classes reflects a shift in what students want from school - not just parents. Ministry of Education figures reveal nearly 68 thousand students enrolled in courses in this field in 2025 - up from about 49 thousand in 2021.  PPTA President, Chris Abercrombie, told Andrew Dickens that parents are more aware of their chi...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has travelled to Florida to begin talks with President Trump about a peace plan. This is the first visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago by Zelenskyy, and the talks aim to narrow the issues on the US sponsored peace plan. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Andrew Dickens that while Zelenskyy has been negotiating peace, Putin has been launching drones against civilia...