Nita Blake Persen
Far North SH1 may not be reconnected by end of day
Locals in the Far North hope the road connecting them to Kaitaia will be passable by midday on Thursday. The washout caused a 20-metre wide hole in the road disrupting travellers who want to go North… Audio
Bumpy forestry road a 'gorgeous' alternative to SH1
RNZ reporter Nita Blake-Persen joins Checkpoint live from Northland, where she joined a north-bound convoy on a forest road, one of the alternative routes to head north after a 20m chunk of SH1 was… Audio
Glass half full for cut off Far North residents
Far North communities hope a massive hole in State Highway One north of Kaitaia will be fixed by Easter, but many locals are finding silver linings in their new-found isolation. Video, Audio
Pukenui washout: Locals drive dodgy road to get through
For the second day, anyone wanting to travel to and from the top of the North Island has to drive a forest road around the washout on State Highway One under police escort. RNZ reporter Nita… Audio
'Super-grans', doctors, scientists protest oil and gas expo
Grandparents from around the country will be marching in protest at the annual oil and gas conference in Wellington, which starts today. Five hundred people are in the capital to attend the three-day… Audio
Auckland councillor labels business class ban 'inhumane'
A proposal to ban Auckland Council staff from flying business class on work trips has failed to get off the ground, with one councillor describing the suggestion as 'inhumane'. Video, Audio
Waikato to White House: Chris Liddell gets a top job
Matamata born 59-year-old Chris Liddell has been appointed as deputy chief of staff for policy coordination, tasked with overseeing and coordinating Donald Trump's policy process. Video, Audio
Dying gay man’s blood, tissue donation rejected
Cherie Etevenaux was shocked to hear at the last minute that her dying son's large organs could be donated, but not his blood or tissue because he was gay. Audio
NZ Census 2018: From mould to marital status
Does your home have a working kitchen sink? And do you have mould growing that's larger than an A4 piece of paper? Those are just a couple of the questions in the new-style census, which takes place… Audio
'Tidy Kiwi' resurrected for new generation to keep NZ beautiful
The iconic 'Tidy Kiwi' anti-litter campaign of the 1970s and 80s is making a comeback to help kids tackle New Zealand's soaring amount of waste. Video, Audio
Urgent action needed to recruit new teachers
A 40 percent drop in the number of people training to be teachers is being described as a 'ticking time bomb' by principals already struggling to find staff to fill classrooms. Audio
Australian reporter slammed for interview with NZ PM
60 Minutes reporter Charles Wooley has been criticised for his interview with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, which has been labelled as sexist, sleazy and repugnant. Video, Audio
Climate change could cause new Category 6 cyclone
A new category of cyclone - category six - may be needed as climate change makes storms more extreme. The only thing that stopped the strongest tropical cyclone on record - Cyclone Winston - being a… Audio
Teen killed in Waitakere flash flood died helping friend
Mitch Woolley and Sosi Turagaiviu had been swimming with three others near Cascade Falls when they were caught in a sudden downpour on Saturday. Video, Audio
West Auckland mourns teens drowned in Waitakere river
A West Auckland community is in mourning after two teenagers died in a flash flood in the Waitakere Ranges. The 17-year-olds were swimming with a group of friends when they were swept away in a sudden… Audio
Rates rebel Penny Bright vows to fight Auckland Council
Penny Bright, a self-described whistleblower, owes more than $30,000 in rates but is refusing to pay up because she says Auckland Council lacks transparency. Video, Audio
Govt to review NZ's rubbish and recycling laws
The Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says New Zealand lags behind other parts of the world when it comes to waste management. Audio
Shipping noise could be hurting sealife
A new study has revealed shipping noise in the Hauraki Gulf is causing major communication problems for whales and fish in the area. Audio
Coromandel takes a battering in the storm
Flooding and waves along the Firth of Thames have poured into homes right along the edge of teh water and ripped up parts of the highway. Trees and sandand huge chunks of asphalt scattered all over… Audio
Contributing to plastic waste: the last straw
Some retailers are opting to get rid of straws or offering biodegradable ones after their plastic counterparts pollute coastlines and take up to 200 years to break down, Nita Blake-Persen reports. Audio
