First Up Podcast Options

5:53 AM.After being made redundant from her fashion industry job, Ayla Bligh set up a new New Zealand fashion label, selling limited edition masks with matching hair scrunchies. Within a week of launcing, 'By… Read more Audio

5:44 AM.Gore's district mayor says putting a fire out at the Old Paper Mill in Mataura has not ended the danger of eight thousand tonnes of toxic waste. Yesterday, Fire and Emergency extinguished a blaze only… Read more Audio

5:33 AM.Fiordland locals are being encouraged to bring family and friends to the region during the school holidays - and they'll get a freebie in return. The area's been hit hard by the lack of tourism - so… Read more Audio

5:24 AM.TradeMe's feature auction today is for a visit with New Zealand's biggest baby, the Auckland Zoo's newborn rhino. But if a Rhino visit isn't your cup of tea, there's also morning tea with Sir Richard… Read more Audio

5:10 AM.Gyms say it's first in first served for gym goers at alert level two-point-five - but new work schedules due to Covid-19 are helping to reduce the rush. Auckland gyms opened their doors for the first… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.Indira Stewart looks at the stories dominating the headlines in the UK with our correspondent Henry Riley. Audio

5:52 AM.Auckland is no longer in lockdown - but hasn't moved a full step down to alert level 2. That means social gatherings in the supercity are limited to 10 people, except for funerals and tangihanga, and… Read more Audio

5:49 AM.Students in Auckland are heading back to school today amidst the country's biggest covid-19 cluster and new mask requirements. And while they are keen to get back into the classroom, many say they are… Read more Audio

5:44 AM.People with loved ones in Auckland care homes are being asked to be patient. While the supercity was under alert level three restrictions, aged care facilities implemented strict level 4 lockdown… Read more Audio

5:37 AM.Auckland restaurants, cafes and bars are relieved to be opening their doors again today - despite the supercity not yet moving fully down to alert level 2. The city has instead been moved to what the… Read more Audio

5:23 AM.Joining Indira Stewart for the weekend up date from the fresh produce markets is our Minister of Fruit and Veges Glenn Forsyth - he's back in the Auckland markets and his list of 9 recommended fruit… Read more Audio

5:10 AM.Environmentalists worried a population of bats could be pushed to extinction by a housing development are taking their fight to court. The critically endangered long-tailed bats - pekapeka - live… Read more Audio

5:53 AM.Auckland University Law Professor Bill Hodge joined Indira Stewart to talk about how sending the gunman back to his home country to serve out his sentence - might work out. Audio

5:48 AM.Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters wants convicted terrorist Brenton Tarrant sent back to Australia so New Zealand taxpayers don't have to foot the hefty bill for his incarceration. The mass… Read more Audio

5:46 AM.Caution is being called over any rush to enhance police powers related to suspected terrorism. Authorities here are eyeing Britain's legal framework which, among other things, grants power to arrest… Read more Audio

5:32 AM.Southern farmers are angry at the new rules around freshwater management, calling them unworkable. Federated Farmers Southland president Geoffrey Young has publicly called on farmers to ignore the… Read more Audio

5:24 AM.Our Minister of Fruit and Veges Glenn Forsyth updates us on the best buys for the weekend from the fresh producer markets with a push to enjoy the last of leeks and we hear about horticultural exports… Read more Audio

5:10 AM.More than 37 thousand people have signed a petition calling for better after birth care for women. Rotorua based personal trainer Kirsty Watt wants women to get pelvic health checks from a qualified… Read more Audio

5:53 AM.It's the time of the week where we speak to one of our local leaders. We're joined today by the Mayor of Matamata-Piako, Ash Tanner. Audio

5:48 AM.More than twenty young people have escaped from Youth Justice Residences since 2015 - some spending almost two weeks on the run. The figures were obtained by RNZ, following a high-profile manhunt for… Read more Audio

5:43 AM.A victim of the Christchurch mosque attacks says seeing the gunman in court made him realise how weak he really is. Mustafa Boztas travelled from Turkey and spent two weeks in managed isolation to be… Read more Audio

5:33 AM.Plasma from recovered Covid-19 patients could be used to treat newly infected patients. This is known as convalescent plasma, taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus, which may… Read more Audio

5:25 AM.The health minister says officials will not "join the dots" between people getting covid-19 tests and whether they are here on a valid visa. Pacific leaders have raised concern that unlawful… Read more Audio

5:13 AM.Women who've lost their jobs due to Covid-19 are being forced to either retrain or seek work well below their skill level. The pandemic has disproportionately affected women's employment, with… Read more Audio