Radio New Zealand – Page 93

Red-tipped bananas are not new to Australian consumers, but have gone viral on social media this month after an inquisitive post from two bewildered British backpackers.

The video from travellers Mel Chekaoui and Phil Colia has been seen more than 11 million times on Instagram, with eager consumers commenting that they too were hungry to learn the reason for the red wax tip.

“My Dad told me it meant they were strawberry flavoured and I believed him until I was 16 years old. Nice to finally learn the real reason in the comments”

Travellers Mel Chekaoui and Phil Colia have gone viral with a video about bananas in Australia.

@melandphil / Instagram

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“Stores actually have a sign that says ‘uniquely Ecoganic’, but I mean [social media] is just the way the young ones communicate today,” Ms Sciaccia said.

“[When I saw the video] I just laughed.”

Sciaccia said the accredited farming system used natural ecosystems to grow the crop and promote soil health, minimising other inputs such as chemical fertilisers and insecticides.

It is different to organic farming because not all products used are free of inputs.

While the red tips are more widely known to appear on bananas, producers of other crops have also started to adopt the farming method.

“We’ve had a lot of interest from different industries, so we’ve been working with avocadoes, apples and pears in Victoria, and almond growers in South Australia for the past couple of years,” Sciaccia said.

“We’re just putting some focus back into papaya, which we did start a few years ago, but due to crop loss, we sort of put that on hold at the time.”

Pawpaw potential

There are eight certified growers in Australia, including William Darveniza.

His farm is up the road from the Sciaccia’s, about 260 kilometres north of Townsville, and his range of crops includes the red-tipped bananas.

This is his first year formally producing the fruit, after he realised he had already been using the farming method.

He hopes to add the red tip to other fruits on the farm, including paw paws.

“A lot of those mycorrhizal fungi and the bacteria that they evolved alongside in the rainforest are sort of taken out of the equation in the conventional farming system that we have,” said Darveniza.

“I’d like to sort of try and reintroduce that a little bit and help protect the crop from these weather situations and these insect pressures using that system.”

He hoped a wider range of red-tipped fruit would be on supermarket shelves by mid-next year.

“There has already been a fair bit of interest in the product, so we’re looking forward to moving forward with it,” he said.

Red-tipped exports

Across all growers, about 80 tonnes of red-tipped bananas are produced a week, and they are not only turning heads in Australia.

Sciaccia said international interest had grown since they first sent trial volumes of bananas with the waxy, red tips to Japan about two years ago.

“We’ve been working with one of the major supermarkets over there and putting together a business plan with them,” she said.

“They’ve done all of their testing on the product, and the texture, taste, what they call sensory attributes, sit above any other product that they import from around the world.”

She was hopeful of sending commercial volumes to Japan in the future.

“I don’t see the export as being a major part of our business, but it certainly has the potential to be as equal to our domestic market quite easily,” Sciaccia said.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

December 11, 2025

Students pair up with retirees and exchange lives through letters

Source: Radio New Zealand

Children at St Heliers School and residents at Grace Joel Retirement Village has been pen pals for the past year. Ke-Xin Li

There’s nervous excitement as the children of Room 25 at St Heliers School get ready to visit their pen pals.

A five minute walk brings the kids to the Grace Joel Retirement Village, where their elderly pen pals are just as excited as the children.

“Hello hello hello hello hello, there he is, hello,” one resident pointed me to her pen pal.

Teacher Sarah Mill came up with the pen pal programme during Covid, after reading about rest home residents’ loneliness.

Each student has a resident to write to. They also visit several times through the year.

“In today’s modern age, too many students text or email, and they are losing the art of connection through a proper letter. Text is just a few words, whereas some of their letters are getting to two or three pages long.”

During Covid, Sarah Mill started the pen pal programme for her class after reading about the loneliness experienced by retirement home residents. Ke-Xin Li

Miss Mill said it means the kids get to build deeper relationships. And many stayed in touch with the residents as they grew up.

“I think it was important for them to share their lives with the residents, and then the residents would sometimes share things from their childhood that had come back to them as a result of reading what the children were doing, so, really interesting.”

After written 10 letters, this is the children’s third and last visit of the year.

But 8-year-old Vidhya Jooravan has told her pen pal – 85-year-old Joan Baggott – that it won’t be the last letter she sends her.

“I wrote I hope [we’re] still pen pals (in the future), more planet stuff, and more exciting things about Christmas.”

While visiting their pen pals, children from Room 25 also perform songs for Grace Joel residents Ke-Xin Li

Vidhya loves the friendship she has made with Joan.

“When we started writing letters, I was so excited to have a pen pal. And then when I started carry on writing letters, it started to build up a pen pal friendship and then it was just amazing. It’s so nice, it’s like having my granny and grandpa sitting here and talking to me. I feel happy and I feel nice inside.”

Joan grew up writing letters. But today, while she much prefers texting, she has enjoyed reading Vidhya’s letters and getting to know her.

“I love what she writes about because very often it’s straight from school, what the teacher’s written on the board, and I learn after all these years. I think, oh, I didn’t know that. She’s a lovely little girl and she sent me a letter once and it had all the little diamantes all the way around the envelope. So I knew she liked pretty things.”

And from then on, Joan made sure she decorated all her letters to Vidhya with cute stickers.

Joan Baggott and Vidhya Jooravan have been pen pals for the last year. Ke-Xin Li

Nine-year-old Oliver Qi tried to read Brian Cutting’s November letter, but had to stop nearing the end as he struggled with Brian’s cursive handwriting – a common struggle amongst the pen pals due to their age gap.

86-year-old Brian was still proud.

“It’s very impressive though to be able to read that writing, I think there is really something special for him.”

He helped Oliver finish reading the letter.

“I think it’s wonderful that you are learning Mandarin. It’s wonderful to know how to speak, read, and write in other languages. You are lucky. Once again, you have been learning interesting things at school. Things like our galaxy. Did you know there are billions of galaxies? Billions of them.”

And Brian tried to incorporate some Mandarin phrases he learned.

“So we started off, Dear Oliver, Ni Hao. And we ended it up, Zai Jian.”

Oliver Qi and Brian Cutting have been writing to each other for a year. Ke-Xin Li

Oliver corrected Brian’s pronunciation of “Zai Jian”, the phrase means “See you again”.

Without a carefully crafted closing statement, no letter is complete.

And everyone has their own preferences.

Oliver likes: “I look forward to seeing you again.”

Vidhya loves “warm regards”.

“Because it sounds sweet and sounds like half of ‘all the best’.”

Mark struggled with the cursive handwriting by 96-year-old Dr. M Mackendrick. Ke-Xin Li

Ngarie Jackson, 85, used “kind regards”, but said she would prefer something else.

“Well, I could have put love, but I didn’t know whether he’d like that or not.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

December 11, 2025

Weather forecast: Temperatures creeping back down after scorching summer days

Source: Radio New Zealand

Parts of the country saw temperatures in the high 20s or early 30s earlier this week. (File photo) RNZ/ Mohammad Alafeshat

After days of sweltering heat for much of the country temperatures should drop by a few degrees in coming days.

Earlier this week a heat alert was in place for Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne with temperatures reaching 34C at Napier Airport and 32C in Wairoa.

Over the weekend many regions experienced temperatures in the high 20s or even early 30s.

But MetService said on Thursday there was a reprieve from the heat on the way, with temperatures across the country heading back down towards normal.

MetService meteorlogist John Law, said it was still hot on Thursday, especially for Waikato, which would reach 29C to 30C.

Law said the last few days had been four or five degrees above average for the time of year.

“It’s nice for a few days but it takes its toll,” he said.

Auckland was sitting at between 26C and 27C but would likely drop to mid 20s by the weekend.

Law said it would still be beach weather with the weekend looking generally dry, fine and settled.

Things would be a bit cooler down in Christchurch with temperatures of 18C-19C for the weekend, but this would heat back up next week to the high 20s.

Some spots in the central North Island, including Taumarunui, Waitomo and Waikato were still experiencing above average days which could hit 30C.

Wellington seemed to have avoided the extreme heat, Law said, but added there had been some “very nice days here”.

The lower South Island was the only area which could expect some showers or even a rumble of thunder over the weekend, Law said, in Otago and South Canterbury.

“Law said it had been an unusually warm start to December and a “very warm” November.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

December 11, 2025

Why you might suddenly stop drinking milk

Source: Radio New Zealand

You’ve long enjoyed a generous pour of milk in your morning coffee, or a big bowl of ice cream for dessert.

You’ve been fine with dairy most of your life, but you’re getting into middle age, and all of a sudden it’s not sitting right with you – creating lots of socially unacceptable symptoms and bathroom breaks and generally making you feel bloated and gassy.

You may not realise it right away, but you’re probably one of the millions of people who develop lactose intolerance as they get older.

Lactose is found in dairy products.

Supplied/ Synlait

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Here’s what you need to know about lactose intolerance.

Why do people become lactose intolerant?

First off, lactose intolerance is not a proper food allergy. It’s a digestive issue that results in the body being unable to break down a substance called lactose found in dairy products.

“Lactose intolerance occurs as a result of an enzymatic deficiency and is quite different to a milk allergy which is driven by the immune system,” said Anna Richards, an Auckland dietitian who specialises in allergy, intolerance and gastrointestinal disorders.

Some people, particularly children, do have actual milk allergies which can cause serious medical issues including anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction that narrows the airways.

But lactose intolerance is more about the tricky interaction between lactose in milk and something called lactase that the body makes.

Wait, those are pretty similar names…

Yep, it’s a little confusing. To keep it simple, just realise that lactose is a complex sugar that is found in dairy products.

Lactase, on the other hand, is a digestive enzyme the body makes to break down that lactose. And the older we get, the less of it our bodies make.

“It reaches its peak in infancy and declines after that but the rate of decline is genetically determined – that’s why there are such regional and ethnic differences in lactose intolerance,” said Clare Wall, a dietary expert and head of the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Auckland.

Being able to digest lactose is actually kind of a genetic mutation, prevalent in parts of the world where dairy farming evolved such as Europe. It’s called lactase persistence.

“It tends to be predominant in ethnicities that have historically not consumed lactose after infancy such as Asian, African, South American and tends to be less of an issue among Caucasian ethnicities whose ancestors have continued to consume lactose-containing foods lifelong,” Richards said.

“Around 85 percent of the world’s adult population are lactose intolerant.”

There isn’t a lot of firm data on how prevalent that intolerance is in New Zealand, but some research has shown that it’s also far more common among Māori and Pacific populations.

Lactose is the main carbohydrate in cows’ milk.

123rf

How can you tell for sure you’re becoming lactose intolerant?

Go with your gut, to be honest. The first symptoms of lactose intolerance usually occur 30 minutes to two hours after having food or drinks with lactose.

Those symptoms “can range from mild to severe depending on the amount consumed and a person’s individual tolerance level,” Richards said.

They can include abdominal pain and cramps, bloating and flatulence, diarrhoea, nausea, and sometimes vomiting or stomach rumbling.

The best at-home test a person can make is to simply stop having dairy products for a couple of weeks, and then slowly try having them again.

“If the symptoms improve on a lactose-free diet but return on introduction of lactose then this can confirm the diagnosis,” Wall said.

There are more diagnostic tests that can be made by a professional to confirm the condition, but some are not easily available in New Zealand, Wall said.

One is a breath hydrogen test which measures the level of hydrogen in exhaled air after ingestion of lactose following overnight fasting.

Could it be something else that’s bothering my digestion?

It’s always possible – issues such as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD and irritable bowel syndrome can also cause unpleasant symptoms.

A consultation with your GP can be useful, Richards said.

“It is important to see a healthcare professional for a diagnosis before making significant dietary changes, as symptoms can be similar to other conditions or there may be an underlying medical cause.”

There are also other, rarer kinds of lactose intolerance, including secondary lactase deficiency which results from injury to the gut, developmental lactase deficiency which can occur in premature infants and the rare genetic disorder congenital lactase deficiency where the body produces little or no lactase from birth and requires a lifelong lactose-free diet.

Okay, I guess I’m lactose intolerant. So can I just never eat dairy again?

There’s no “cure” for lactose tolerance, but it isn’t a complete dairy death sentence for your diet for many people.

“It’s about finding your individual tolerance level,” Wall said.

“Eating small amounts of lactose-containing foods with other foods rather than on an empty stomach also reduces gastric symptoms. And spreading the lactose-containing foods throughout the day.”

“It is a common misconception that lactose intolerance requires the complete exclusion of dairy from the diet,” Richards said.

“With the increase in the range of lactose-free and low-lactose dairy products on the market, dairy products can continue to be enjoyed in the diet.

“Experimenting with different products and portion sizes can help you find your personal tolerance level.”

She said that milk and products like custard and ice cream contain the most, while regular yoghurt contains a bit less and Greek yoghurt even less.

Different cheeses have different amounts of lactose.

RNZ

And what about cheese?

It depends on the kind of cheese.

Cottage cheese and soft cheese may be tolerated in small amounts, and the rule of thumb is generally the harder a cheese is, the less bothersome it might be for the lactose intolerant.

“A hard cheese such as a cheddar is low in lactose and can typically be freely included,” Richards said. “Very hard cheeses such as parmesan, Romano or butter have negligible lactose.”

Lactose intolerant people who drop dairy entirely may also need to look at supplementing their calcium intake.

“Cows’ milk and all mammal milks are nutritionally valuable foods providing protein, calcium, vitamin D and for children, fat,” Richards said.

“Soy is the only plant-based milk that is a nutritional equivalent. All other plant-based milks have negligible protein and fat and although they may be calcium-fortified the bioavailability (the way we absorb and use the calcium) is poor compared to dairy.”

Coconut milk also lacks protein and is high in saturated fat, she said.

A2 Milk has been studied for use by the lactose intolerant.

Getty Images

Are there supplements you can take to ease discomfort, or better milk products?

“The range of lactose-free products in the supermarkets including lactose-free milk and lactose-free yoghurt is increasing,” Richards noted.

There’s also been a fair amount of research done in New Zealand into whether A2 Milk, which has a different kind of protein type, may be better for those suffering lactose intolerance issues.

There are products that supplement lactase with names like “Lacteeze,” which may work for some people.

“They will moderate symptoms with a moderate dose of lactose but are not a ‘get out of jail free’ card for a giraffe-size milkshake,” Richards said.

“Tolerance will vary from person to person.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

December 11, 2025

Biosecurity doubles Auckland’s surveillance zone for yellow-legged hornets

Source: Radio New Zealand

Yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) and their nests have been found in the Auckland region. Biosecurity NZ

Biosecurity NZ has more than doubled the surveillance zone for invasive yellow legged hornets in Auckland.

More than 30 queen hornets and 22 nests have been located and destroyed so far in the region, with trapping and ground searches expanded significantly across the city’s North Shore recently.

Horticultural sectors have been concerned about the impact the predatory hornet could have on New Zealand’s honey bee populations.

Nearly 650 traps have been set within a five-kilometre radius of detection sites, and more than 3500 properties have been searched within 200 metres of confirmed finds, Biosecurity NZ said.

Biosecurity’s North commissioner Mike Inglis said the surveillance zone was being extended from five kilometres from detection sites on the North Shore to 11, after advice from an independent technical advisory group.

He said the extended surveillance would involve working closely with more beekeepers, including more than 575 registered apiaries in the 11-kilometre zone.

“This will provide greater assurance that the hornet incursion is a single population contained to the local area and allow us to respond quickly if there has been any spread,” he said.

“From the very start, Biosecurity New Zealand’s response to the hornet detections has been driven by science and expert advice. This will remain the foundation of our approach.”

Yellow-legged hornets are an invasive species, and a danger to local honey and wild bees. Biosecurity NZ

Inglis urged Aucklanders and beekeepers to keep a watchful eye out for the pests.

“We’ve had more than 5610 public notifications so far. It’s been fantastic to see such enthusiasm. We are very keen for this to continue, as it helps us respond quickly to possible detections,” he said.

Biosecurity was also using different trap designs to hunt the hornets, as well as launching a national ad campaign to encourage sighting reports from the public.

It said it was purchasing electronic tracking gear to trace nests, by attaching transmitters to foraging worker hornets.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

December 11, 2025

External project management team to run Nelson Hospital redevelopment

Source: Radio New Zealand

Nelson Hospital. RNZ / Samantha Gee

Health New Zealand is hiring an external project management team to run the Nelson Hospital redevelopment for the next six years.

The project aims to deliver new, refurbished and seismically strengthened buildings in three packages.

First up, design of a new 11,000 square metre inpatient unit and energy centre is due to begin next April.

Earthquake strengthening of intensive care, surgery and radiology buildings among others is last off the blocks, to run from mid 2027 till 2032.

The various projects range in value from $50 million to more than $150m each.

“Given the scale of the programme and HNZ’s internal capacity, HNZ is now seeking to engage a full-service external project management team … through to the anticipated completion in late-2032,” a tender document said.

The team would oversee the day-to-day and end-to-end delivery of each project.

Applicants had to have project managed a health construction project in Australasia worth at least $150m in the last five years, and a large regionally-based one outside the main NZ cities, too.

The tender said price would only be 15 percent of what was factored in on awarding the work, with experience 30 percent and team capability 40 percent.

The refurbishment of the two main hospital blocks called George Manson and Percy Brunette was due to run from 2026 to 2031.

“The current deficit of medical surgical beds is 16 and without redevelopment and model of care changes, this would have risen to 53 beds by 2043,” it said.

“Outdated facilities are preventing improvements to health equity, overall patient experience and time efficiencies.”

It also noted that poor seismic resilience “jeopardises post-disaster healthcare following a significant seismic event”.

Buildings had been categorised as earthquake-prone and had to be fixed or demolished by 2032.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

December 11, 2025

Three more arrests after murder of US student Kyle Whorrall in Auckland

Source: Radio New Zealand

Kyle Whorrall, 33, was killed at a bus stop on St Johns Rd in Meadowbank, Auckland. SUPPLIED

A trio of teenagers are the latest to be arrested as Auckland police investigate the violent murder of American student Kyle Whorrall.

Six people have now been charged in connection with the homicide investigation, including five teenagers and a 33-year-old woman.

Whorrall, a PhD student at Auckland University, was killed in an attack at a Meadowbank bus stop on 19 April.

The Operation Aberfeldy team has since been investigating the homicide.

On Thursday, three additional people were charged after police searched properties in Kaikohe, Mt Wellington and Manurewa.

Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said as a result, two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old have been charged jointly with murder and aggravated robbery.

“We have spoken with Kyle’s mother this morning, to keep her updated on this development, and it is not lost on us the profound impact this event has had on her family,” Baldwin said.

The investigation now shifts towards moving into the prosecution phase, Baldwin said.

“At this point we believe we have identified those allegedly involved, however the investigation remains ongoing.”

An 18-year-old male will appear in the Kaikohe Youth Court and the other two charged will appear in the Auckland Youth Court on Thursday.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

December 11, 2025

Farmers doing their bit to support those with intellectual disabilities in rural communities

Source: Radio New Zealand

Kaye and her daughter check out the calves at the Temuka sale. Supplied

Strong beef prices are helping raise record funds as part of a fundraising scheme that’s been going for more than 40 years.

IHC has been around for 70 years supporting those with intellectual disabilities, particularly in rural communities.

For more than half that time, the IHC Calf and Rural Scheme has helped raised funds for the charity with farmers donating a weaned calf which is then sold and the proceeds donated.

National fundraising manager Greg Millar said some farmers donated multiple calves and had been doing so for generations.

“When they come to sale, [the calves] are often of amazing quality as well.”

Millar said the scheme was badly impacted by Mycoplasma bovis and Covid-19.

“We had to change everything about the way we ran the calf and rural scheme and tighten up a lot of our processes. At one stage we thought it could be the end of the scheme just because it was high risk.”

However, with farmers urging they persevered, it returned to full strength last year and raised $1.2 million.

He said this year is looking likely to be a record fundraiser.

“The sale prices have been great. The numbers we’ve been getting have been great.”

Millar said at the recent Temuka sale, which had more calves than the year before, the average price was about $100 per calf which meant the sale earned an extra $50,000.

He said he was always impressed by farmers generosity, which allowed them to help families of children with intellectual disabilities.

“I’m always astounded by how amazing and supportive the farming community is around New Zealand.”

With one more sale in January, he expects to know the final total in the new year.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

December 11, 2025

Live: Black Caps v West Indies second test – day two

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Black Caps ripped through the West Indies on the first day of the second test in Wellington, but it came at a cost.

Late on day one the West Indies were dismissed for just 205, with a top score of just 48 from Shai Hope to put the Kiwis well in the ascendancy at 24 without loss.

However, after taking four wickets in the first innings, seamer Blair Tickner was forced from the field with a serious looking shoulder injury after landing awkwardly attempting to save a boundary.

Tickner joins Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Kyle Jameison, Mitch Santner and Tom Blundell on the Black Caps injury list.

First ball is at 11am.

Squad: Tom Latham (c), Michael Bracewell, Kristian Clarke*, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Mitchell Hay*, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Michael Rae*, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

*uncapped Test player

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Michael Bracewell Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz / Photosport Ltd 2025

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

December 11, 2025

High-profile property investment firm Opes Partners censured

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

Property investment company Opes Partners has been censured for failing to comply with obligations under its financial advice provider licence.

Opes offers clients a wealth plan, then helps them find properties to invest in, as well as helping to arrange their mortgage and manage the property.

It also produces the Property Academy podcast.

But Financial Markets Authority director for response and enforcement Louise Unger said there were short-comings in its record-keeping, how it ensured client understanding of advice, management of conflicts of interest and oversight of advisers.

“The way Opes’ client documents are completed, how they are stored, and the level of detail recorded is not consistent, and records weren’t efficiently accessible, to the extent that Opes was in breach of the requirements of standard condition one of its FAP licence. In addition, this breach made it difficult for FMA to verify whether other regulatory obligations were being met.

“There were additional reasonable steps that Opes could have taken to ensure its clients who did not progress to purchase a property with Opes understood the risks and limitations of the advice provided. Clients who did not proceed through the full advice process with Opes, where they would have received further risk disclosures, may not have been made fully aware of the potential downsides or the implications of acting on limited advice.”

She said because the business offered property sales, investment planning, mortgage advice, accounting and property management, there was a risk of conflicts of interest.

“Making adequate policies and procedures in this area, and the implementation of them, critical to appropriately managing this risk. The FMA found that Opes did not have adequate policies or processes in place and could not be confident that all conflicts had been identified, disclosed, and managed.

“Opes acknowledged that its regulatory compliance, policies, procedures and staff adherence to policies had not kept pace with its rapid growth and were not fit-for-purpose for the business. It has acknowledged the FMA’s view that there has been a gap between Opes’ compliance with its FAP obligations and where it actually needs to be.

 ”While no actual client harm was identified by the FMA’s review, we consider that these contraventions have the potential to increase the risk of detriment to customer outcomes. Censuring and naming Opes is important to ensure the transparency of FMA decision making; it informs the public and previous clients, prevents and reduces the opportunity for consumer detriment, and helps to maximise the deterrent effect on the industry.

Unger said Opes had fully co-operated with the FMA and had taken significant steps to address the concerns and provide a voluntary remediation plan for further improvements.

Opes economist Ed McKnight said the business supported the censure and would take the necessary steps to address the issues identified.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Category: Radio New Zealand

How the world got talking about red-tipped bananas

Students pair up with retirees and exchange lives through letters

Weather forecast: Temperatures creeping back down after scorching summer days

Why you might suddenly stop drinking milk

Biosecurity doubles Auckland’s surveillance zone for yellow-legged hornets

External project management team to run Nelson Hospital redevelopment

Three more arrests after murder of US student Kyle Whorrall in Auckland

Farmers doing their bit to support those with intellectual disabilities in rural communities

Live: Black Caps v West Indies second test – day two

High-profile property investment firm Opes Partners censured