Summer Report for Thursday 6 January 2011

8:53 AM.Falling Mountain, Marewa, Onekawa, Rangipo Desert, Te Tangi-o-Hinerau: with Peter Dowling, revising editor of AW Reed's 'Place Names of New Zealand'. Audio

8:50 AM.And now for a look at summer ailments. Audio

8:47 AM.A lot of children want to be stars - but one 10-year-old is discovering them. Audio

8:43 AM.Some of New Zealand's top scientists, business people and innovation experts have been named on two new independent boards which will be responsible for allocating hundreds of millions of dollars in… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.A North Island beach waxs was temporarily closed yesterday afternoon when a shark fin was seen cutting through the waves. Audio

8:38 AM.The Quit Group say it's about three quarters of the way to its goal of targetting thousands of smokers in New Zealand's 30 largest employers. Audio

8:33 AM.An update from the RNZ sports team. Audio

8:28 AM.Big waves and wipeouts - it's time to check out the swell. Joining us to discuss the best surfing spots across the country is Doug Young. Audio

8:25 AM.The Environment Court has slapped the Wanganui District Council with a 15-thousand dollar fine for trying to stop a cell phone tower being erected. Audio

8:21 AM.The United States' 112th congress has been sworn in to office, two months after mid-term elections which saw President Obama's Democratic Party suffer heavy losses. Audio

8:18 AM.Scientists will start drilling into the Alpine Fault - one of the world's biggest fault lines - in about three weeks. Audio

8:15 AM.Anglers say they're angy that an increasing number of farmers are selling exclusive rights to fish in rivers on their properties. Audio

8:13 AM.It's been a very busy time for rescue services in Queensland - including for CareFlight medical services who've been ferrying the sick and injured out of the flood zones. Audio

8:10 AM.Fresh monsoon rains are forecast for Queensland and flood warnings have been declared for seven river systems. Audio

7:57 AM.It was an eventful day at the New Zealand Womens Tennis Open yesterday, with four seeded players eliminated from the tournament in Auckland. Audio

7:54 AM.A pretrial hearing in Los Angeles has heard Michael Jackson's doctor waited 20 minutes before phoning for help when the singer collapsed. Audio

7:49 AM.Are you sick of people saying you should "man up" or telling you that they'll "Facebook you later"? Audio

7:47 AM.Each morning we'll be talking to a newspaper editor outside of the big metropolitan dailies, about what's happening in their region. Audio

7:42 AM.Prince William and his fiancee, Kate Middleton, have revealed plans for their impending wedding. Audio

7:37 AM.Thousands of people have attended the state funeral of assassinated Punjab Governor Salman Taseer. Audio

7:33 AM.An update from the RNZ sports team. Audio

7:28 AM.Time to talk weather with the Met Service's Bob McDavitt. Audio

7:25 AM.Soaring prices for basic food items such as sugar, cereals, oils and meat have pushed world food prices to an all-time high. Audio

7:21 AM.Listening to that was the Mayor of Tasman, Richard Kempthorne. Audio

7:18 AM.The Minister of Agriculture, David Carter, says the government's still not decided what assistance it will give to those affected by the recent floods in Golden Bay Audio

7:15 AM.The floods are causing catastrophic damage to infrastructure and could well have an impact far beyond Australia. Audio

7:10 AM.Floodwaters have levelled in Rockhampton in central Queensland, and the Fitzroy River has still not reached a predicted 9.4-metre peak. Audio

7:00 AM.The cost of the Queensland flood rises and there's more rain to come - we have the latest from our correspondent in Rockhampton. Will the Government come to the aid of Marlborough following the floods… Read more Audio