First Up Podcast Options

5:38 AM.Looking toward the sky tonight - you'll be a witness to an incredibly rare lunar spectacle, not seen in our skies since Kupe landed in Aotearoa 800 years ago. It's longest partial lunar eclipse… Read more Audio

5:27 AM.It's Friday and no better time to check on the potential contents of the vegetable drawer in the fridge or the bowl on the dining table with our Minister of Fruit and Vege Glenn Forsyth! Audio

5:20 AM.An online poll conducted by movie and TV website, Flicks.co.nz has revealed that New Zealanders think Breaking Bad is the greatest television series ever made. 10,000 TV fans across New Zealand voted… Read more Audio

5:53 AM.Nathan Rarere spoke with Auckland's Mayor Phil Goff. Audio

5:49 AM.Just in time for Christmas, Auckland's border will be reopening on the December 15th. After 92 days stuck in the city, Aucklanders will be able to leave to travel around Aotearoa. We sent our reporter… Read more Audio

5:43 AM.The discovery of human remains deep inside the Pike River Mine just two days out from the 11th anniversary of the disaster has caused an outpouring of emotion from the families of those who died… Read more Audio

5:30 AM.All of New Zealand is expected to move into the traffic light system soon after the 29th of November, with the Auckland boundary opening up to vaccinated or tested people from 15 December. Prime… Read more Audio

5:24 AM.It's that time of the week where we talk to one of our Local Democracy reporters and joining Nathan Rarere this week all the way from Ashburton to Auckland is Adam Burns. Audio

5:19 AM.The jury in the trial of teenage gunman Kyle Rittenhouse is still considering its verdict. Rittenhouse is being tried over the deaths of two men during the unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August of… Read more Audio

5:10 AM.As Auckland children return to school for the first time in 13 weeks the prospect of going back into the classromm can be a little daunting. Dr Emma Woodward is a psychologist and Nathan Rarere asked… Read more Audio

5:05 AM.We begin this morning in Europe, where tensions still high on the border between Poland and Belarus - for more on this and more of the stories making headlines on the earth's most northern continent… Read more Audio

5:52 AM.And joining Nathan Rarere as he has a few times these past few weeks is Sir Ian Taylor, who we believe is still self-isolating in Auckland after his trip to Los Angeles. Audio

5:47 AM.As of this morning, the 3.4 million New Zealanders who've been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to apply for a vaccine pass. The long-awaited pass will soon be required to enter large… Read more Audio

5:32 AM.Throughout today, RNZ will look back on 100 years of radio broadcasting in New Zealand.. And on First Up - where a decent chunk of the team have done their time in commerical radio, we thought we'd… Read more Audio

5:25 AM.The Government will today reveal more details about how Auckland's border will be managed over summer. The border, which runs from Mercer in the south to Mangawhai Heads in the North, has been in… Read more Audio

5:16 AM.We head to Japan next where more than 90 per cent of the country's main cities are on the brink of reaching their vaccination targets. Nathan Rarere caught up with our correspondent in Tokyo, Chris… Read more Audio

5:52 AM.An Auckland Maori health provider is being run off its feet due to the number of Covid-19 patients and their contacts who are isolating at home. 50 people a day are currently testing positive at… Read more Audio

5:46 AM.Booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine will be available in a fortnight for people who got their second dose more than six months ago. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement yesterday… Read more Audio

5:35 AM.The chair of a Tasman school board has resigned over the vaccine mandate because, he says, he refuses to call police if an unvaccinated member of the community walks through the school gates. Alistair… Read more Audio

5:31 AM.New Zealanders from all different areas of expertise are offering online zoom classes for school students whose teachers are in need of extra support as the school vaccine mandate comes into effect… Read more Audio