Features

1980s New Zealand was a very different place, with wage freezes, carless days and only two TV channels. Amid the hubbub of Muldoonism and Rogernomics, our music scene was flourishing – particularly in the capital. Audio

"Aggression, manipulativeness, low agreeableness.” Sound familiar?

For about two weeks In November 1982, time stood still – not just for the two climbers stranded in an ice cave on Mt Cook, but for a country gripped by the prospect of a dramatic rescue in atrocious conditions. Audio

Listen again to the Grand Prix winning NZ Youth Choir in concert. Audio

Refugees detained on Manus Island say they have mixed feelings about news that 54 of Australia's offshore detainees have been accepted for resettlement in the United States.

The NZ broadcasters of today were largely shaped by political decisions made more than 25 years ago. Mediawatch rounds up the media policies that political parties are offering this time around – if they're offering one at all. Audio

Google is offering American users a screening test for depression. Victoria University psychology professor Marc Wilson says while it's a not a bad idea in principle, there are risks of misdiagnosis and oversimplifying a complex issue. Audio

New Zealand Opera’s final production of 2017 opened in Auckland this weekend. Justin Gregory gives his verdict. Audio

Most health professionals refer to Alzheimer's disease as an inevitable process of increasing memory loss and confusion, but there is actually a tremendous amount people can do, says UCLA neurologist Dale Bredesen. Audio

Nick Bollinger teleports to 1976 via a lost album from the Neil Young archives. Audio

"Women grow people and nurture people and help make our society what it is. I want to see them better remunerated.”

Last week the supermarket chain New World announced a vote on whether customers should pay for single-use plastic bags, and already over 120,000 people have cast their votes. Audio

Comedian and writer Susie Essman plays the loud, ball-busting, expletive-driven Susie Greene on hit American comedy Curb your Enthusiasm, alongside comic genius Larry David. Audio

Our relationship with what we eat says a lot about who we are, says culinary historian Laura Shapiro. She serves up dietary portraits of six women of history in her new book What She Ate. Audio

The culture and history of Pacific voyaging will take centre stage at the 2018 New Zealand Arts Festival next February. The spectacular opening event will feature a mass assembly of waka in Wellington Harbour. Audio, Gallery

Nick Bollinger reviews an intricate and mature, yet anxious new set from The National. Audio

NASA's SOFIA observatory – a telescope mounted on the back of a plane – scopes the birth and death of stars and the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. Audio

A woman who was denied a second-trimester abortion through North Shore Hospital says the ordeal was so traumatising that she contemplated suicide. 

As the two-horse neck-and-neck drag race on knife edge comes to an end, Toby Manhire and Toby Morris look at the possible results.

On this day in 1893, New Zealand became the first nation in the world to grant women the right to vote. Check out our collection of historical interviews, features and documentaries about women, voting and equality.

Leilani Momoisea has been keeping a close eye on some exciting new hip-hop artists who released their first songs last week. Video, Audio

Blair* and Satine* gathered stories from fellow sex workers for the documentary theatre piece Paying For It. The pair hope that the show will help humanise people who work in their industry. Audio

Bridalwear designer Trish Peng's 25-metre long train broke a world record at last year's NZ Fashion Week.This year she created a dress made of fresh flowers. Audio

LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy got the band back together because David Bowie told him to. Nick Bollinger has a listen to their new album and ponders Bowie's advice. Audio