Stories by Jimmy Ellingham

A woman clung to a cow that swam her to safety as floodwaters rapidly rose. The story of Cow 569 became an enduring tale of survival from the lower North Island floods of February 2004. There was… Audio

Massey University is being warned of severe consequences if it goes ahead with its proposed cuts to humanities staff. A politics professor has said plans to slash jobs will affect the university's… Audio

After years of waiting there are finally plans to move some of the crumbling old Auckland commuter trains blighting the main street of central North Island town Taumarunui. The local mayor says once… Video, Audio

For 10 years Granny's Christmas Grotto in the Rangitīkei town of Marton has brought the joy of Christmas to thousands of visitors. But after it closes its doors this year, everything will be auctioned… Video, Audio

A large pile of smahed glass has been given a new lease of life for use in roads and pathways. A Manawatu contractor is crushing it up into little pieces and is hoping to soon offer the product to its… Audio

Academic staff at Massey University have made a bid to save their jobs and ensure the future of sciences at the institution. Staff and the Tertiary Education Union have today sent Massey an… Audio

More details have emerged about an attempted breakout that ended in a stand-off on an Oranga Tamariki youth justice facility's gym roof. RNZ has obtained reports about the incident, revealing what… Audio

A Manawatu school is giving students practical help for a move into the trades after school. Palmerston North Boys' High School is giving students the opportunity to clip on a toolbelt and build… Audio

As Massey University proposes to slash staff and courses while facing a huge financial deficit, students and staff affected by the possible cuts are operating in limbo. And their anxiety is hanging… Audio

Business owners and locals in the shadows of Mt Ruapehu are eagerly awaiting some certainty about the future of the mountain. Discussions are still ongoing between the companies bidding to take over… Audio

Just six months after he nearly died during an accident when cutting a tree, a Dannevirke man will walk more than 200 kilometres to Wellington.  Audio

A worker at a Manawatū concrete company lost his right arm when he had to pull himself from a machine he was cleaning. The company he worked for, Dunlop Drymix Ltd, has today been sentenced in the… Video, Audio

Science staff and students at Massey University are fighting to save their jobs, and their studies. The cash-strapped university is proposing to slash science causes from its Albany campus, which… Video, Audio

'Not in our backyard thank you very much'. Taumaranui locals want to know why disused trains from Auckland have been dumped in their town. The unwanted Auckland carriages were surplus to requirement… Video, Audio

For pensioners who don't own their own homes, the cost of living and rent spikes are eating into their income and sense of security. But, around New Zealand, a small number of accommodation providers… Audio

Business owners around Greymouth on the South Island's West Coast know about tough times, trading through coal mine closures, the Christchurch quakes and recessions. And then there's Covid and a cost… Video, Audio

Queenstown is fighting fires on a couple of fronts - as it cleans up from a state of emergency, and deals with a cryptosporidium outbreak. As well as that, the resort town is still dealing with a… Video, Audio

The family of a man found dead after he failed to return to the mental health ward at Palmerston North Hospital say they're still in the dark about what happened almost nine months on. 69 year old… Audio

The Labour leader was in Hokitika today, a town founded in the gold rush of the 1860s, and has known booms and busts. Just like the rest of the country, it's a town feeling the full effects of the… Video, Audio

Rangitīkei is the third largest electorate in the North Island, stretching from east of Levin in the south to above Taumarunui in the north. And it's up for grabs this election, as its four-term… Audio

Palmerston North institution Summer Shakespeare has been saved, at least for the coming season. But will the Bard's words continue to grace the city's outdoor stage as Massey University withdraws… Audio

Six months after the Cyclone Gabrielle devastated parts of Hawke's Bay, growers in one of New Zealand's fruit bowls are slowly getting back on their feet. Apples and pears alone make up an industry… Video, Audio

It's six months on from Cyclone Gabrielle and for many life is yet to return to normal. Some residents of Puketapu, west of Napier, are still out of their homes, and a few aren't sure if they can… Video, Audio