Stories by Nita Blake-Persen

The skipper of the fishing charter which sank off Northland's coast is said to be in complete shock over the incident, which has so far claimed four lives.

Search and rescue teams are still scouring… Video, Audio

Search teams are desperately looking for the last person still missing after a fishing charter sank near Cape Reinga.

The vessel - 'Enchanter' - ran into trouble in wild weather which hammered the… Video, Audio

Petrol thefts are on the rise as more motorists struggle with pain at the pump. Prices are increasing across the country, with $3/litre now the norm at many stations.

Electric vehicle owners are… Audio

A RAT race is on as tens of thousands of people try to source Rapid Antigen Tests amid the growing omicron outbreak.

RATs are now the primary testing method and kits are available at retail outlets… Audio

New Zealanders who can least afford it are bearing the brunt of the Omicron outbreak - with isolation proving to be impossible or expensive for some.

Covid hospitalisations are continuing to rise -… Audio

A person in a wheelchair has died after waiting six hours for an ambulance to get to them.

The tragic case has been passed on to the coroner by St John, which says its slow response time may have… Video, Audio

The Omicron outbreak's taking its toll on paramedics, with Auckland down nine ambulances on Saturday night because of a lack of staff.

St John is putting it down to illness and self isolation… Audio

The 'foundational right' of New Zealanders to return to their country is at the core of a legal battle being fought over the MIQ system.

The case, being taken by the group Grounded Kiwis against the… Video, Audio

As Aotearoa's border reopening edges closer, families living in motels fear the country's housing crisis is about to get a whole lot worse. Audio

Emergency services could be facing their own 111 crisis with a warning; they too could be hit by the Omicron outbreak, with already strained staff facing another massive challenge.

Thousands of… Audio

The Minister of Social Development has launched an internal review after she missed several red flags around multimillion dollar spending on private rentals for the homeless.

The Auditor-General this… Video, Audio

Northland's checkpoints started smoothly today, with last minute background checks holding up some Tai Tokerau Border Control workers the only speed bump.

Thousands of cars heading north passed… Video, Audio

A Northland big cat sanctuary which has been closed to the public for nearly eight years is preparing to roar back into life tomorrow - this time with strict safety measures in place.

Whangārei's… Video, Audio

A novel idea to get more books to new Northland readers is proving to be a roaring success.

The Whangārei Hidden Books initiative is pretty much as it sounds - kids' books are tucked away in spots… Audio

The gateway to Northland will be guarded by two checkpoints this summer, to keep Covid out and welcome vaccinated visitors in.

Police will be stopping cars south of Whangārei on State Highway 1 near… Audio

Some pharmacies are under fire for charging people a fee to provide a hard copy of their vaccine passports.

The Pharmaceutical Society says printing should be free, but at least one Northland… Audio

Some Northland businesses are refusing to stop serving unvaccinated customers, instead adapting the new traffic light framework to cater to everyone.

Checkpoint reporter Nita Blake-Persen has the… Audio

The brakes could be on major summer festivals after the government revealed red lights for their regions in the new traffic light system.

Nita Blake-Persen reports. Audio

Slip, slop, slap and swab could be the new summer checklist as the government prepares to roll out rapid Covid tests in holiday hot spots.

A government pilot of the antigen tests is proving to be a… Audio

A Covid case in the Whangārei suburb of Otangarei has health authorities on high alert, with fears it could be a 'timebomb' waiting to go off.

The positive case spent a week in the community before… Audio

Excitement from some Northlanders about visitors returning to the rohe is tinged with anxiety about the Covid-19 risk they bring. Audio

The National Party is distancing itself from a former MP who has questioned the effectiveness of the Covid vaccine in a lengthy video that has been labelled dangerous.

Matt King was National's MP in… Audio

Māori health providers in Tai Tokerau are sprinting to boost lagging vaccine rates as community cases in the rohe rise.

Another two cases have emerged in Kaikohe today and a baby has been admitted to… Audio

Northland tourism operators are desperately hoping the region's vaccine rates will boost enough for visitors to return this summer, with many businesses hanging on by a thread.

The northern-most part… Video, Audio

Far North communities are nervously waiting to see if Covid has been spreading unchecked through their towns.

The top of the motu is in level 3 lockdown as health officials work to trace any links… Video, Audio