Features

The Detail: It's proving complex to build a coastal bypass road north of Wellington. Transmission Gully has been in the planning stages for over a century - and it's hit more hiccups. Audio

Our Changing World - Alison Ballance has her first day at New Zealand's Antarctic station, Scott Base, and visits the historic Hillary's Hut. Video, Audio

Decades of neglect has left the US in a state of disrepair and it is now too poor to halt economic and social decline, economic commentator Umair Haque says. Audio

Director of The Assistant Kitty Green, says her new movie is much more than a portrayal of sexual harassment in the wake of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's prosecution. Video, Audio

The Detail - Swamped with complaints from Air New Zealand customers, Consumer NZ is challenging the government on what it will do about refunds. Audio

New Zealand faces a "looming collapse of critical infrastructure networks" unless urgent action is taken, a senior economist warns. Audio

Can a garden be an artistic medium? Curator and writer Mary Kisler examines the gardens of three well-known artists- Cedric Morris, Derek Jarman and Andy Goldsworthy- to see what we can learn about them and their work. Audio, Gallery

According to a recent survey one in eight young Australians believe Bill Gates is spreading coronavirus using 5G, but a reporter investigating conspiracies also came across beliefs in lizard people and a sinister deep state. So why are conspiracies rife? Audio

The Detail - Efforts to protect our coastal waters from further degradation are piecemeal and slow. How do we bring life back to the sea? Audio

Unlike Beethoven, the chances of any ground-breaking symphonies coming out of my walks are pretty slim, but I treasure the solitary time, says Cynthia Morahan.

No footage exists of television's arrival in Aotearoa 60 years ago - but there is a wealth of material to honour the role it has played in the country's history, the curator of a new exhibition says. Audio

Two years ago the government said we had "one shot" at wiping out Mycoplasma Bovis, echoing its later stance on Covid-19. But eradication effort has been hampered by failures in the national tracing system. Audio

The Covid-19 pandemic has increased tensions between the US and China, but it's unlikely it will lead to armed conflict any time soon, author Evan Osnos says.  Audio

The iconic Kiwi musician has just released a brand new track 'Find Your Way Back Home' with help of his Fleetwood Mac bandmates. Video, Audio

A number of people trying to improve the health and lives of Pasifika have been recognised in the latest Queen's Birthday Honours.

Nick Bollinger discusses honey-voiced singer Moses Sumney; a melancholy and atmospheric set from Lyttelton all-rounder Ryan Fisherman; and the first album in three decades from L.A. punk originals X. Audio

Canadian human rights advocate Yasmine Mohammed is an outspoken critic of radical Islam with an extraordinary personal story. Audio

New Zealand musician Bill Direen has a new band called Ferocious and an album that bears its name. William Dart explores Direen’s new music and a few classics from his former band The Bilders. Video, Audio

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Mediawatch - Stuff CEO Sinead Boucher wants her staff to take a stake in the company. Sounds like a nice idea – but how might that work? Audio

As a young boy, Kenneth Hill once got lost in the woods near Los Angeles. Now a professor, he's spent decades researching why people lost in the wilderness react the different ways they do. Audio

Mediawatch - Efforts to stamp out the cattle disease Mycoplasma Bovis has been hampered by failures in the national tracing system – a controversy that slipped under the media's radar. Audio

Beethoven was inspired by the great outdoors, and so were many other composers. Enjoy this nature-inspired playlist of music recorded for you by RNZ Concert.

Your free classical podcast this month is Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, played by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Douglas Boyd.

Young adults may have picked up some bad habits in lockdown, but daily exercise and more involvement in running the household are great progress, says family coach Yvonne Godfrey. Audio