First Up Podcast Options

5:45 AM.2020 has left many families struggling to make ends meet after Covid -19's arrival in New Zealand saw job losses and once-steady work become sporadic. We all need a little help sometimes, and for… Read more Audio

5:34 AM.The polar opposite is true for the Black Caps, the series victory over the Windies has seen New Zealand join Australia at the top of the World Test Cricket rankings. Former Black Cap Peter McGlashan… Read more Audio

5:31 AM.The West Indies cricketers are preparing to head home after what has been another tough tour for them. The tourists suffered a 2-nil Test series whitewash at the hands of the Black Caps to go with… Read more Audio

5:23 AM.This week on TradeMe - an absolute mint condition mid-1980s Mitsubishi is on the block. This is a real classic 1982 Turbo Mirage hatchback.. this very rare car is up for grabs - with the auction… Read more Audio

5:12 AM.Can you help a lost traveller get home for Christmas? Auckland airport have put out a call to try and reunite a special piece of lost property with its owner. Anna Cassels-Brown is the operations… Read more Audio

5:08 AM.To the UK where correspondent Alex Cadier updates Nathan Rarere on the latest news about a new variant of the coronavirus which is growing faster than the existing variant and the main stumbling… Read more Audio

5:54 AM.New Zealand and the Cook Islands have agreed to open a quarantine-free travel bubble by end of March 2021. In a joint statement over the weekend the prime ministers of the two countries, Jacinda… Read more Audio

5:45 AM.Christmas cheer was alive at the country's toughest jail this weekend, with a group of inmates getting to spend a few hours crafting and reading with their children. In a room decked out with… Read more Audio

5:34 AM.We had wildfires over the weekend in the Coromandel and Christchurch and hot, dry weather could be on the cards for a little while yet. NIWA's principal scientist and forecaster Chris Brandolino is… Read more Audio

5:31 AM.Rooms in managed isolation have been sitting empty, because some returnees have been able to hold on to more room allocation vouchers than they need. Meanwhile other returnees say they feel stranded… Read more Audio

5:21 AM.Our Minister of Fruit and Vegetables Glenn Forsyth tells us how to bag a bargain in the leadup to Christmas and what's good buying fruit and vege wise. Audio

5:08 AM.The US has started shipping the Covid-19 vaccine around the country as the city of Boston registers record Covid-19 levels Electoral College voters gather to caste ther votes and affirm Joe Biden as… Read more Audio

5:49 AM.Spark Arena is turning into a giant pub tonight for one big night of pub rock when five of New Zealand's best-known pub rock bands will flood the stage with beer spilling anthems. In amongst it all… Read more Audio

5:46 AM.We are well into Christmas party season, but what do you do if you work alone or are just a small office but still want a big christmas celebration? Tony Edelsten, owner operator of Javaman cafe in… Read more Audio

5:34 AM.2020 has been a tough year for most. Especially those who have lost loved ones. But two British otters found happiness together again after both losing their long term partners. Our reporter Ella… Read more Audio

5:14 AM.Go to a rural Canterbury club rugby match and chances are you'd be familiar with the name Luisetti Seeds. The company has been a sponsor of Canterbury country rugby for years. The firm began back in… Read more Audio

5:11 AM.A young New Zealand golfer is realising a long-held dream this morning. Amelia Garvey will tee off shortly in her first round at the US Open in Texas, her first appearance at a Major. In her final… Read more Audio

5:51 AM.When Ray Liddell of Hartlepool in the UK ordered an inflatable Christmas Grinch over the internet, he hadn't really considered how big his purchase might be. All he wanted to do was to make his… Read more Audio

5:45 AM.Dogs are being trained to detect Covid-19 through sweat. Trials are ongoing in different countries and 14 dogs from the Australian border force are in the middle of training. Dr Susan Hazel from the… Read more Audio

5:36 AM.Earlier this week we heard how a lack of tourists, caused by the worldwide pandemic is having a damaging effect on the economy of the Cook Islands But how has Covid-19 affected tourism at one of the… Read more Audio

5:27 AM.Earlier this week Zespri, the country's sole exporter of kiwifruit, announced it is to partner with a state-run Chinese company to buy SunGold fruit grown illicitly in China. Zespri owns rights to the… Read more Audio