Checkpoint Podcast Options

5:58 PM.A New Year is a fresh start and after 2020's madness everyone's welcoming the opportunity with open arms. But after this year's curve ball, most people's hopes for the year - are much more simple. We… Read more Audio

5:50 PM.At Checkpoint, we love an animal story. From missing cats, to wandering pigs and rafts of otters - these tales have brought joy to us - and hopefully you - in what's been a challenging year. Audio

5:44 PM.From tantrums to trouble at dinner time and bed time - there are a lot of obstacles parents come up against with young children. A team at Auckland University has created two parenting apps, with the… Read more Audio

5:34 PM.A new hospitality helpline is being launched to support staff who may be getting a raw deal as they slog away at bars, cafes and restaurants over the coming months. Unite union has created the free to… Read more Audio

5:27 PM.Santa will be riding into town on a brisk southerly for Christmas tomorrow - but fear not, most of the country is in for a fine day. Warm and dry weather is forecast for most of the country - with… Read more Audio

5:23 PM.Police will be cracking down on hoons driving along beaches in the Horowhenua District this summer. People are allowed to drive on beaches up the coast, including Otaki, Himatangi and Waitarere, but… Read more Audio

5:20 PM.Paul Brislen is from electronic payments company Paymark joins Nita Blake-Persen Audio

5:16 PM.The sound of tills ringing throughout the land have all but drowned out jingle bells in stores this year. It's better than expected, after what's been a tough year for many. Our reporters around the… Read more Audio

5:11 PM.In the United Kingdom, millions more people in England are poised to enter the toughest tier of restrictions from Boxing Day - which includes stay at home orders. Our Worldwatch reporter - Perlina Lau… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.The spotlight is on New Zealand's border controls as a new Covid-19 variant sweeps the UK. Kiwis trying to get home from the UK are begging the government for more flexibility around booking managed… Read more Audio

5:58 PM.This year's been a testing one for most of us, with covid-19 came travel bans, cancelled plans and uncertain times. But despite the hardships many people had something good happen amongst the madness… Read more Audio

5:51 PM.It might feel like Covid and politics have dominated the news this year - bur other things have happened - good and bad. Here's a reminder of some of the other big stories Checkpoint covered in 2020. Audio

5:47 PM.The curious case of the native Westland petrel fledglings which keep crash-landing on the West Coast. LED street lights through Punakaiki have been switched off to try to help the birds. But the seems… Read more Audio

5:40 PM.Another 58 tonnes of barely used tents and festival waste could be headed for Gisborne's local tip, if Rhythm and Vines punters don't tame their wasteful ways. A graveyard of tents and single use… Read more Audio

5:36 PM.A legal bid to stop the cutting down of exotic trees on Auckland's Owairaka has been rejected by the High Court. Tupuna Maunga Authority wants to remove 345 exotic trees to make way for the planting… Read more Audio

5:27 PM.Australia's response to its latest covid outbreak should give Kiwis confidence we're in the best possible position for a travel bubble - according to a top epidemiologist. New South Wales has today… Read more Audio

5:23 PM.The fight against Kauri dieback in Auckland has been hit by vandals - further endangering the native trees and costing ratepayers more than 100 thousand dollars. But there is good news - with upgrades… Read more Audio

5:20 PM.On Monday, we brought you the story of a Kiwi father's desperate effort to undergo isolation his mentally unwell son, who arrived back in New Zealand from Australia on Tuesday. The man, who we're… Read more Audio