First Up Podcast Options

5:45 AM.Christmas cheer was alive at the country's toughest jail this weekend, with a group of inmates getting to spend a few hours crafting and reading with their children. In a room decked out with… Read more Audio

5:34 AM.We had wildfires over the weekend in the Coromandel and Christchurch and hot, dry weather could be on the cards for a little while yet. NIWA's principal scientist and forecaster Chris Brandolino is… Read more Audio

5:31 AM.Rooms in managed isolation have been sitting empty, because some returnees have been able to hold on to more room allocation vouchers than they need. Meanwhile other returnees say they feel stranded… Read more Audio

5:21 AM.Our Minister of Fruit and Vegetables Glenn Forsyth tells us how to bag a bargain in the leadup to Christmas and what's good buying fruit and vege wise. Audio

5:08 AM.The US has started shipping the Covid-19 vaccine around the country as the city of Boston registers record Covid-19 levels Electoral College voters gather to caste ther votes and affirm Joe Biden as… Read more Audio

5:49 AM.Spark Arena is turning into a giant pub tonight for one big night of pub rock when five of New Zealand's best-known pub rock bands will flood the stage with beer spilling anthems. In amongst it all… Read more Audio

5:46 AM.We are well into Christmas party season, but what do you do if you work alone or are just a small office but still want a big christmas celebration? Tony Edelsten, owner operator of Javaman cafe in… Read more Audio

5:34 AM.2020 has been a tough year for most. Especially those who have lost loved ones. But two British otters found happiness together again after both losing their long term partners. Our reporter Ella… Read more Audio

5:14 AM.Go to a rural Canterbury club rugby match and chances are you'd be familiar with the name Luisetti Seeds. The company has been a sponsor of Canterbury country rugby for years. The firm began back in… Read more Audio

5:11 AM.A young New Zealand golfer is realising a long-held dream this morning. Amelia Garvey will tee off shortly in her first round at the US Open in Texas, her first appearance at a Major. In her final… Read more Audio

5:51 AM.When Ray Liddell of Hartlepool in the UK ordered an inflatable Christmas Grinch over the internet, he hadn't really considered how big his purchase might be. All he wanted to do was to make his… Read more Audio

5:45 AM.Dogs are being trained to detect Covid-19 through sweat. Trials are ongoing in different countries and 14 dogs from the Australian border force are in the middle of training. Dr Susan Hazel from the… Read more Audio

5:36 AM.Earlier this week we heard how a lack of tourists, caused by the worldwide pandemic is having a damaging effect on the economy of the Cook Islands But how has Covid-19 affected tourism at one of the… Read more Audio

5:27 AM.Earlier this week Zespri, the country's sole exporter of kiwifruit, announced it is to partner with a state-run Chinese company to buy SunGold fruit grown illicitly in China. Zespri owns rights to the… Read more Audio

5:12 AM.The head of the country's Federation of Multicultural Councils says having a Ministry of Ethnic Affairs before now, might have helped to avert last year's tragic mosque shootings. A number of… Read more Audio

5:07 AM.Nathan Rarere speaks with our Europe correspondent based in Vienna, Catherine Walbridge about Austria beginning mass testing for Covid-19 but not all are rushing to sign up. Audio

5:53 AM.A dawn service is being held at Whakatane heads this morning, strictly for family, to commemorate one year since the Whakaari explosion took the lives of 22 people. Nathan Rarere spoke with our… Read more Audio

5:51 AM.A Whakatane local says the town will never forget the Whakaari eruption, but the community is looking for the positives following the tragedy. Today marks one year since the volcano erupted, leading… Read more Audio

5:46 AM.The first people in the UK have received vaccines for covid-19. The UK is the first country in the world to start using a vaccine after it was approved by regulators last week. Our London… Read more Audio

5:39 AM.London based New Zealander James Parr, is the founder of the Open Space Agency and director of the NASA funded AI lab. Each month James will be answering your questions about Space! For today Nathan… Read more Audio

5:31 AM.The comedian George Burns said "You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old." That saying is very relevant to the Hen's Teeth production at Circa Theatre in Wellington of The Older… Read more Audio