Features

With the Omicron variant now on our doorstep, the government needs to enable better access to N95 masks, says epidemiologist Dr Lucy Telfar-Barnard. Video, Audio

Opinion - It was recently written that the Silver Ferns netball team was flourishing, but that's not possible with the team's diet of domestic competition, Hamish Bidwell writes.

Under The Vines launched in New Zealand this week. The six part rom-com commissioned by TVNZ and Acorn Films has the incredible vineyards around Gibbston Valley and the Alexandra landscape as its backdrop. Audio

This weekend The ASB Auckland Marathon will celebrate its 30th anniversary. The first version was held in June 1936, but it wasn't until 1992 that the Harbour Bridge was first incorporated. Audio

The NZ Asian Barbarians are set to make history at the World Schools Sevens and the team is getting a helping hand from a bona fide legend of the sport. Audio

Fin Rah Zel only formed eight months ago, but the New Plymouth soul-fusion band is hitting it big on Spotify this summer. Video, Audio

Cogo is helping bank customers in the UK and Australia make purchases that are in line with their values. Soon, New Zealand banks will start offering the service. Audio

Dr Fiona Cross loves spiders. She loves their webs, the mini eyes, their mini legs. Although as she told Emile Donovan, she had quite a phobia about them when she was younger. Audio

Creating a will before we die is a subject many of us avoid, or is addressed in a way that doesn't clearly state our intentions when leaving behind assets for independents and loved ones, a lawyer says. Audio

Opinion - Covid-19 lockdowns have kept researchers from their labs and libraries and delayed projects. Postgraduate lead Catherine Whitby looks at what can be done to reduce the likely impacts.

Chair of Tropical Fruit Growers Hugh Rose has an impressive stable of interesting and exotic fruits growing on his Northland property. Audio

A labour shortage this year offers an opportune time to chat with your employer about better career arrangements, or even looking elsewhere and finding that dream job, a careers expert says. Audio

Inside Out - Nick Tipping continues his Summer Songbook Series with two hours of great tunes by legendary writers Rodgers & Hart.

Acclaimed broadcaster Julian Wilcox (Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa) is to host a new RNZ National programme, Māpuna with Julian Wilcox, with guests ranging from sports legends and business leaders to artists and community advocates.

A wellington gardener takes a green approach to his trade in more ways than one, managing to successfully run his business using a bike and trailer for transport. Audio

Writer and foraging enthusiast Olivia Sisson has been out and about over the summer, collecting up a range of edible wild fungi.  Audio

Most people, were you to ask them, would say they love animals. Yet it's also likely those same people, eat them, wear their skin and drink their milk. This seeming contradiction is the topic of a new book by Henry Mance.  Audio

Global warming and land use are increasing toxic algae and the dangers it poses to those using waterways, a freshwater scientist says. Audio

On this week's show Mark Rogers plays soul courtesy of Otis Redding and Clarence Carter, a birthday tune for Captain Beefheart, a reggae classic from Keith Rowe plus tracks from Los Lobos, the Waterboys and Barry Saunders. Audio

What three things would you want for a prison escape? Would a Ouija board, a strong imagination and a credulous captor be on your list? Margalit Fox has uncovered the story of an audacious WWI escape plan. Audio

If the New Year heralds a time to be more mindful of our drinking habits, this collection of recent RNZ stories about people choosing to skip the booze may inspire.

With Covid-19, lockdowns and economic and environmental turmoil, many are saying 2021 was a real annus horribilis. Science historian Latif Nasser went on a mission to find out what other years were bad news for humanity. Audio

The head of Boxing New Zealand has doubts his sport will remain in the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, writes Barry Guy.

This week Yadana Saw begins and ends with Day Dreaming an Aretha Franklin classic. She also shares some of the highlights from the past few years. Video, Audio