First Up Podcast Options

5:09 AM.Nathan Rarere was joined from London by our correspondent Alex Cadier who told us about British reaction to the Oprah interview with the Sussexes. Audio

5:51 AM.Destiny Church was forced to hold its service in Queenstown yesterday after its leaders were prevented from using a venue in Invercargill. Speaking to their audience of fewer than 20 people, Brian and… Read more Audio

5:46 AM.Auckland food waste charities say that while they are better prepared for lockdowns it's bittersweet taking goods from businesses going to the wall because of Covid-19. When Auckland went into Alert… Read more Audio

5:37 AM.Kiwi middleweight Israel Adesanya failed in his audacious attempt to beat a man 15 kilos heavier in yesterday's UFC event in Las Vegas. Adesanya was unsuccessful in his bid to unseat Poland's Jan… Read more Audio

5:24 AM.Nathan Rarere finds out how to get the best deals from our Minister of Fruit and Veges Glenn Forsyth. Audio

5:16 AM.A new case of Covid-19 has been identified in an airline crew member during routine surveillance testing. In a statement last night, the Ministry of Health said the crew member had returned to New… Read more Audio

5:12 AM.Ti Point Reptile Park is located an hour north of Auckland in Leigh. It's New Zealand's only reptile park and is home to hundreds of Tuatara, Alligators and more. Nathan Rarere asked owner Mike… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.We begin this morning in the United States, where the Senate has finally passed Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic aid plan. The scheme, one of the largest emergency aid packages in the country's… Read more Audio

5:49 AM.Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars. Or any dollars at all. That's the message from Southland's mayor to Destiny Church leaders Hannah and Brian Tāmaki whom he says are not welcome in his… Read more Audio

5:25 AM.To Washington now - and authorities there are under high alert as another conspiracy targets the US Capitol. Earlier this week police received intelligence a violent militia group had discussed plans… Read more Audio

5:50 AM.With New Zealand's borders closed, the timing was always going to be challenging for New Zealand to host the Women's Rugby World Cup later this year. A dozen teams, with up to 50 staff and players… Read more Audio

5:45 AM.The deputy leader of the National Party Shane Reti says that people whose first language is English would struggle to understand the Government's Covid-19 advice, let alone someone for whom it's their… Read more Audio

5:32 AM.It was a double loss day for NZ cricket yesterday as both our Men's and Women's teams lost in a T20 double header in Wellington. Sophie Devine's White Ferns lost by 7 wickets to England, while Aaron… Read more Audio

5:23 AM.New research shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has cut fossil fuel emissions by 2.6 billion tonnes in 2020, it's the biggest drop scientists have seen since humans started burning fossil fuels. It's… Read more Audio

5:15 AM.Every week we catch up with the brilliant reporters from the Local Democracy Programme, which is dedicated to covering parts of New Zealand that sometimes get overlooked by the big news outlets.

We… Read more Audio

5:12 AM.Over the year Selwyn Community education in Auckland runs over 600 classes, with about 900 people a week taking classes in pottery, woodworking, and Japanese among other courses on their packed… Read more Audio

5:07 AM.Kamahl Santamaria is our correspondent in Doha and he tells Nathan Rarere about watching the first tentative steps between the new US administration and Saudi Arabia. Audio

5:57 AM.As Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was putting Auckland into a snap lockdown on Saturday night, Destiny Church leaders Brian and Hannah Tamaki were packing their bags. The couple left the city for… Read more Audio

5:53 AM.The latest Covid-19 lockdown is set to cost the economy closer to a quarter of a billion dollars. That's according to the latest analysis by ASB bank, which found that the impact would be bigger than… Read more Audio

5:37 AM.It has been a year since New Zealand's first case of Covid-19, with more than a quarter of a million Auckland school students now spending their ninth week learning from home in lockdown. And they're… Read more Audio

5:32 AM.It was an exciting day for Peter Beck's RocketLabs yesterday as they announced the Neutron, an 8 ton re-usable rocket bound for mega constellations. Most of the fascination in New Zealand centred… Read more Audio

5:23 AM.Each week we're having a looking at a unique New Zealand business and this week, there's a buzz about...Mead. It's known as the oldest form of alcohol but now two young entrepreneurs are changing the… Read more Audio

5:16 AM.The Silver Ferns have beaten the Australian Diamonds 49-44 in the first Test of the Constellation Cup in Christchurch. It's the first time the two sides have met in 18 months. It was goal for goal for… Read more Audio

5:12 AM.The new series of the RNZ podcast Healthy or Hoax is available this week, and the first episode features our very own Ellie Jay trying out a Kim Kardashian style waist trainer. Nathan Rarere asked… Read more Audio