Stories by Sharon Brettkelly
News
Fifty years of Planet-wide adventure
The book that was for many years a travellers’ bible turns 50 this year. But with instant information available anywhere, how will Lonely Planet keep up?
AudioRadio's 'media cockroach' needs rescuing
Once the juggernaut of student radio, Auckland's 95bFM is resorting to a fundraising concert to try to clear debt in an age when every commercial station is struggling for funds.
AudioIsrael v Hamas: The war without end
Why do experts have very little hope for a peaceful solution in the Middle East?
AudioThe election aftermath and the unanswered questions
There's a lot we still don't know after election day. Here are the answers to those lingering questions from Saturday night.
AudioThe election workers counting for democracy
From preparations that begin two years out, to a double vote count after the polls close, our elections are a massive logistical exercise.
AudioFrom the sea to the sky
Sir Russell Coutts has leased his SailGP manufacturing factory to Rocket Lab – and his specialist carbon composite workers are part of the deal.
Audio'Dismantle it and start again': New Zealand's immigration muddle
Self-serving, messy, and directionless. With record numbers pouring into the country, our immigration policies are under the microscope – and they don't stand up to scrutiny.
AudioThe invisible killer
Air pollution is the invisible killer behind one in every 10 deaths in New Zealand. There's no safe level of it, but it's an easy issue to ignore.
AudioThe tiny proposal causing Australia so much angst
It's just a "moderate, tiny proposal" over indigenous representation, but Australia's The Voice referendum has caused huge uproar.
AudioTorn apart by war, kept apart by bureaucrats
The only chance 18-year-old Afghan refugee Arezo Nazari has of bringing her parents to New Zealand is through the government – and so far, three ministers have turned her down.
AudioThere's something in the water, but there shouldn't be
The cryptosporidium outbreak in Queenstown highlights the challenges of providing a clean water supply. Why is it so difficult to make our drinking water safe?
AudioTurning down the lights to reach for the skies
The entire community of Naseby has decided to turn down the lights – and reach for the stars.
AudioWhen a 'wasted vote' isn't wasted
If you're disinterested, despondent or deflated by the election campaign and its daily parade of pointless behaviour, here's why you shouldn't miss your opportunity to exercise a little strategy in…
AudioTarras locals gear up for a fight over airport
Christchurch Airport says it's premature to try and stop a new airport that's only just having the groundwork laid; but Tarras locals know what they don't want.
AudioOne father's dogged determination to get answers
Paul Jones hasn't let up in his drive to get answers over his three year old son's death – but in spite of multiple investigations, the truth appears to be no closer.
AudioVilla Maria: The dismantling of a legacy
The saga of Villa Maria wines involves valuable land, an iconic brand, legal action and millions of dollars in dispute.
AudioMigrant worker advocates alarmed by increasing calls for help
Advocates for migrant workers are alarmed as more and more people come to them for help, because the jobs they've been promised haven't eventuated.
AudioTheatre's back, but can it continue to thrive?
Audiences are returning to theatres, but the future is uncertain for university-level theatre education.
AudioThe last NZ company weaving our wool
The Detail visits New Zealand's last commercial wool weaver, Inter-Weave, to find out how they're helping keep the wool industry alive.
AudioOff or on? The debate over GST on fruit and veg
It's popular with the voters, but not with the experts. The Detail takes a closer look at the debate about Labour's GST plans.
AudioTaking the public pulse with political polls
The polls are showing a tight race between the two major parties as we inch closer to October's election. But can we trust them?
AudioPublic private partnerships and big infrastructure projects
The Detail weighs up the pros and cons of public private partnerships in big infrastructure projects.
AudioThe woes of wool
Wool was once the backbone of our agriculture industry, but now farmers are struggling to make a buck from it. What happened?
AudioThe charismatic kākāpō is booming, but its friends need help
Having kākāpō in the North Island wilderness again is an historic win for our native manu, but conservationists say other species are at risk of falling through the cracks.
Audio