Jack Perkins

In this Spectrum we're going a bit further afield than usual. Bamyan province - right in the centre of Afghanistan - is one of its 34 provinces, and in ancient times this region was well travelled… Audio

Since it began in 2008, Wellington's non-profit food rescue service Kaibosh has saved nearly 100,000 meals from ending up in the landfill and distributed them to charities. Spectrum's Jack Perkins… Audio

From the 1940s to the 60s, Annette Mary Eleanor Jane 'Ma' Clifford was Christchurch's most prominent landlady and in the 1950s she was receiving rent from up to 550 tenants. In 2002, Deborah Nation… Audio

The drowned valleys at the top of the South Island - the Marlborough Sounds - offer an idyllic but isolated lifestyle. Folk living in the bays and inlets along this convoluted coastline require… Audio

She's been out of the water for twelve years, and looks a bit unloved. But the eighty year old Auckland Harbour ferry Toroa will sail again. A gang of determined volunteers has raised over a million… Audio

Former trade training hostel residents, along with Anglican social worker Bill Cox who ran it, remember the early days of the Maori Trade Training Hostel Te Kainga, in Hansens Lane Christchurch. The… Audio

Sharapova and Djokavitch may be missing but the competition is still fierce on court. This is Waipawa's Wimbledon with well over 100 veteran tennis players, some in their 80s, battling for supremacy… Audio

With half his life work destroyed by earthquakes, Christchurch conservator Graham Stewart is on a mission to save what is left of Canterbury's remarkable stained glass history. Audio

Pupils from Christchurch's Cashmere Primary School explore Wellington's Old St Paul's and find that uncovering the secrets and symbols of a wooden gothic cathedral is a fun way of learning. Audio

Every year, curlers from throughout the south gather for the Dunedin Masters Games. Spectrum meets veteran curlers as they compete on indoor ice rinks and enjoy the warmth and comfort of a bar and… Audio

Forty years ago to the day, 18 March 1972, the first Spectrum documentary was broadcast. Jack Perkins helped Alwyn Owen launch a human interest series which was designed as a counterbalance to the… Audio

Summer 2012 was special for the outdoorsy Moore family of Titirangi. For the first time in years they went tramping together, complete with mother Colleen. After years of deteriorating health, 58 year… Audio

Pukaha Mount Bruce reserve is the last remnant of Wairarapa's once-famous 70 Mile Bush which cloaked the countryside from Masterton north to Norsewood. Spectrum's Jack Perkins looks at the work of… Audio

On Spectrum this week, Justin Gregory goes behind bars to meet a former bookstore owner who has spent years of her life helping prisoners improve their reading skills and change their lives. Audio

On Spectrum this week, Amelia Nurse visits Judy and Steve Richards who have run the Jester House Cafe in the hamlet of Tasman for the past 20 years. Audio

Justin Gregory goes behind bars to meet a former bookstore owner who has spent years of her life helping prisoners improve their reading skills and change their lives. Audio

The commanding landmark of Rangitoto, the largest and youngest of the islands in Auckland's volcanic field, has long attracted day-trippers keen to make the short, sharp hike to its summit. But for a… Audio

Meg Daly says the sudden death of Green Party co-leader Rod Donald in 2005 was a wakeup call for her. So after years working as an occupational therapist, Irish born Meg now spends her days baking… Audio

Between demolition and rebuild stands a time of opportunity in the earthquake ravaged city of Christchurch. Greening the Rubble and Gap Filler are temporary pockets of enterprise which began as early… Audio

Writer, film maker and sculptor Frankie Wood is 92 years-old and has been an entertainer since childhood. She still performs with her life-sized puppets, mouth organ or accordion and is always ready… Audio