Summer Report for Friday 31 December 2010

8:56 AM.To New York and our correspondent Gemma Gracewood. Audio

8:53 AM.Sydney's getting ready for its New Year's fireworks display - said to be a million dollar event. Audio

8:50 AM.Emergency meetings have been held in Northern Ireland where nearly 40-thousand people have been without running water for days. Audio

8:42 AM.Heugh's taken us to many wonderful places over the years and for Summer report he headed into the area described by the Department of Conservation as the jewel of Te Urewera National Park. Audio

8:37 AM.A familiar voice here at radio New Zealand is among those in the New Years honours today. Audio

8:34 AM.An update from the RNZ sports team. Audio

8:29 AM.There's a bit of a highland fling going on in Waipu this weekend. Audio

8:25 AM.There's speculation the new prime minister, a noble, may appoint a commoner as his deputy. Audio

8:21 AM.Plans to re-enact Michael Jackson's autopsy in a TV programme have been called exploitative and shockingly bad taste. Audio

8:19 AM.Water lovers in Canterbury are being warned to keep their wits about them while out on the region's flooded lakes. Audio

8:14 AM.For his services to business and the arts, Michael Hill has been made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours. Audio

8:10 AM.She's been dishing out advice on cooking for more than 40 years - and now Alison Holst has been made a dame. Audio

7:54 AM.We are joined by our sci-tech commentator Peter Griffin. Audio

7:49 AM.A national fruit and vegetable distributor has become the first beneficiary of a new Government research and development programme. Audio

7:46 AM.We've been chatting to editors of some of the country's regional newspapers each day and today we are joined by the editor of Whangamata's Coastal News, Lesley Staniland. Audio

7:43 AM.Lots of household names are being recognised in the New Year Honours, but there are many other that are more unkown. Audio

7:39 AM.The former Israeli president, Moshe Katsav, has been found guilty of rape and other sex crimes. Audio

7:33 AM.An update from the RNZ sports team. Audio

7:29 AM.Time to talk about the all-important weather, joining me is Met Service duty forecaster Chris Noble. Audio

7:27 AM.In Christchurch, the City Council is taking extra precautions in planning the annual New Year's Eve celebrations at Cathedral Square. Audio

7:24 AM.The police say they're ready to deal with any trouble that erupts during New Year's Eve festivities. Audio

The 10-year-old boy who fell into a thermal pool in Rotorua on Sunday has died.

7:19 AM.The 10-year-old boy who fell into a thermal pool in Rotorua on Sunday has died. Audio

7:17 AM.A boatie who managed to swim to shore at Wellington's Owhiro Bay in the early hours of this morning, has said that one of the two others he was out with died in the water. Audio

7:14 AM.One of New Zealand's most successful sportsmen, Sir Bob Charles, has been made a member of the Order of New Zealand, the nation's highest honour....the honour's limited to only 20 living people. Audio

7:10 AM.A TV chef, a pioneering author and an inventor who's helped the world's poor are among the New Zealanders being awarded top New Year's honours today. Audio

7:00 AM.The top Royal Honour goes to one of our most famous athletes, we'll talk to Sir Bob Charles, now a member of the Order of New Zealand. We'll hear about the search for a missing boat off the south… Read more Audio