First Up Podcast Options

5:22 AM.This week on TradeMe a piece of original Star Wars memorabilia, from a time when Star Wars merch was few and far between in New Zealand - and the ultimate in male mid-life crisis cars. But first… Read more Audio

5:14 AM.The Covid-19 vaccination campaign is working its way up one of the most remote reaches of the North Island. The settlements of the Whanganui River Valley are isolated, and mostly inhabited by kuia and… Read more Audio

5:11 AM.Having won New Zealand's first ever canoe slalom medal at the Rio Olympics, Luuka Jones is hoping to go one better in Tokyo. Her silver medal in 2016 was a surprise, as she only qualified seventh for… Read more Audio

5:52 AM.From the West Coast is the Mayor of Buller, Jamie Cleine. Audio

5:48 AM.Many houses in the upper South Island remain underwater this morning after devastating flooding which led to hundreds of people fleeing their homes. The Buller, Marlborough and Tasman districts bore… Read more Audio

5:38 AM.The Cloud on Auckland's Waterfront will be the place to be for fans friends and family of New Zealand's Olympic athletes to watch our team in black. Tens of thousands of people are expected to head to… Read more Audio

5:24 AM.Joining Nathan Rarere now from the fresh produce markets is our Minister of Fruit and Vegetables Glenn Forsyth. Audio

5:16 AM.38-year-old Nick Willis is counting down to his fifth and final Olympic Games after making the cut for the 1500 meters when two higher-ranked competitors opted to compete in different distances Willis… Read more Audio

5:11 AM.Covid-19 cases continue to surge across Sydney, with the state reporting 109 more cases in the last 24 hours. Many patients have been admitted to hospital where some have been transferred to ICU… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.We begin this morning in the United Kingdom where England is poised to loosen all of its Covid-19 restrictions despite the UK recording the highest number of new infections in the world over the past… Read more Audio

5:52 AM.A baby orca has been centre of media attention this week after being found stranded and separated from its pod on Sunday afternoon. Animal rescue teams have been caring for the Orca named Toa for the… Read more Audio

5:48 AM.Is your cat's diet more exotic than your own? After looking through decades worth of data, RNZ In-Depth journalist Farah Hancock has found that we're importing cat food from far flung places. And… Read more Audio

5:43 AM.Quarantine-free travel between Victoria and New Zealand is on hold for at least four days as the State is plunged into lockdown after 18 new Covid cases were recorded there yesterday. The travel pause… Read more Audio

5:30 AM.Winter is in fairly full effect now, meaning it's the bleakest time of year for our Minister of Fruit and Veges, Glenn Forsyth. Audio

5:20 AM.Back in March, one young man took on the challenge of running 654km in less than a week for suicide awareness. Each kilometer that 22-year-old Matt Fenn ran represented a kiwi who died by suicide last… Read more Audio

5:13 AM.After a Covid hit 2019 season the Farah Palmer Cup women's rugby competition returns to its normal format for this weekend's opening round. Canterbury will defend the title they've won the last four… Read more Audio

5:08 AM.To the US where Donald J Trump is back in the news. Nathan Rarere is joined by correspondent Bevan Hurley in New York. Audio

5:52 AM.New South Wales recorded 97 new cases of Covid-19 yesterday with its lockdown extended for at least two more weeks. South Australia has confirmed 2 cases in hotel quarantine. And Victoria recorded… Read more Audio

5:43 AM.When Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson spoke to the trans-tasman business circle breakfast on Tuesday, it was a social media post of his name setting that said 'egg in any form' which drew… Read more Audio

5:35 AM.And it's that time when we join one of the reporters from the Local Democracy Reporting programme and this morning we're heading to the top of the South Island, and we're joined by Chloe Ranford. Audio

5:26 AM.Auckland scientists intend to give advanced-stage cancer patients mico-doses of the psychedelic drug LSD. The lead researcher, health psycologist Lisa Reynolds from the University of Auckland, told… Read more Audio

5:26 AM.To Europe now - joining Nathan Rarere from Sweden is our correspondent Anita Purcell Sjölund. Audio

5:16 AM.Around 25 years ago, legendary Kiwi actor, director and artist Ian Mune was captivated by the sight of a mountain in Northland. Since then he's often wondered which of Northland's many peaks it was… Read more Audio

5:54 AM.To discuss the hospo industry, Nathan Rarere spoke with Infometrics economist Brad Olsen. Audio