Checkpoint Podcast Options

5:10 PM.From October the visitor levy for people entering Aotearoa will go from $35 to $100 a person, bringing in an estimated 229 million dollars a year. Although more than forty percent of travellers… Read more Audio

4:50 PM.The situation facing the local rural sector worsened when the all important rainfall failed to arrive during Autumn, and then again in Winter. It also comes amid high interest rates and soaring… Read more Audio

4:45 PM.Green thumbed thieves have done ten thousands of dollars of damage at Auckland botanic gardens in the last financial year.The beautiful gardens sprawl across 64 hectares in Manurewa, and include a… Read more Audio

4:35 PM.A woman who received $5000 in a mistaken transfer to her bank account said it was more difficult to return the money than she expected. Three banks RNZ contacted said it's rare for people to approach… Read more Audio

4:30 PM.RNZ sports reporter Jamie Wall spoke to Lisa Owen about the aftermath of the All Black's first test against the Springboks over the weekend, where the response to the Haka at Ellis Park has been under… Read more Audio

4:25 PM.You may remember the days of $10 to $15 an hour babysitting jobs, with all you can eat snacks thrown in as a bonus. Well things have changed dramatically, in February the app, Pay the Nanny, estimated… Read more Audio

4:15 PM.United States correspondent Todd Zwillich speaks to Lisa owen about Joe Biden joining Kamala Harris on the campaign trail for the first time in her candidacy and the jawdropping number of hot dogs… Read more Audio

4:05 PM.From next month the international visitors levy will more than triple; from 35 dollars to a hundred dollars. International visitors spent over $11 billion in the year ending March 2024, but being… Read more Audio

5:50 PM.Crowds of curious onlookers have been casting their eyes over the grounded barge Manahau at Carters Beach, near Westport.The barge, owned by West Coast Bulk Logistics, ran aground about midnight on… Read more Audio

5:45 PM.United Kingdom correspondent Diane To spoke to Susana Lei'ataua about extra long lines at Heathrow Airport in London since this weekend due to a worker strike, people having the right to work four-day… Read more Audio

5:40 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:35 PM.A mishap with the boat hasn't slowed Team New Zealand down as they continue to prepare to defend the America's Cup in Barcelona.The New Zealanders have sent a message to their challengers during the… Read more Audio

5:30 PM.The King's Council will meet with iwi leaders in private tomorrow to discuss who will succeed Kiingi Tuheitia after the Maori monarch's death last week. At least 13 iwi groups and over 8 thousand… Read more Audio

5:18 PM.A survey by real estate company JLL shows Kiwis will need another 8,400 retirement village units by 2033, if we're going to keep up with demand. It comes at a time when retirement villages in New… Read more Audio

5:15 PM.The Retirement Commission estimates the number of over 65s who are renting could double by 2048, to more than 600 thousand. In the next installment of our Crunching the Numbers series, we hear from… Read more Audio

5:05 PM.Dozens of unwell or injured people desperate to see a doctor are queueing for hours outside a south Auckland clinic before dawn. Local Doctors Otara said they've tried everything to keep their waiting… Read more Audio

4:45 PM.Concerns over a foreign crew's ability to navigate New Zealand coastal conditions had already been raised - before the barge they were operating ran aground on the West Coast. The Manahau grounded… Read more Audio

4:40 PM.A prolonged spell of dry weather has made circumstances extremely tough for farmers in the Hurunui district. But the drought is only one problem the region is facing. Reporter Adam Burns travelled to… Read more Audio

4:30 PM.New Zealand racing driver Scott McLaughlin has cemented his credentials in Indy Car after winning on an oval track again. McLaughlin held off fellow Kiwi and six-time series champion Scott Dixon to… Read more Audio

4:25 PM.Delegates at a summit organised by teacher union the Educational Institute in Wellington today told RNZ the teaching workforce is aging and too few people are training to replace them. They say the… Read more Audio

4:15 PM.Middle East correspondent Perry Wilton spoke to Susana Lei'ataua about grief and fury on the streets of Israel with tens of thousands of people protesting, mass vaccination campaign against polio… Read more Audio

4:10 PM.Visual journalist Marika Khabazi asks people in Auckland's Mission Bay if they they think introducing a national nit index is a good idea. Audio

4:05 PM.Cases of the scalp-suckers appear to be rising- with subsidised prescriptions for treatments up 27% - but there's no real way to know how many cases there are or where they might be. Health… Read more Audio

5:51 PM.16 year old Max Lee is a remarkable young Samurai - dedicated to his development in an ancient fighting style called Kendo. He became the youngest person ever to represent New Zealand at the Japanese… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.Asia correspondent Laura Westbrook spoke to Susana Lei'ataua about millions of people ordered to evacuate their homes as a Typhoon lashed southwest Japan with strong winds and torrential rain… Read more Audio