Summer Report for Monday 13 January 2020

8:57 AM.You may not have heard of blo karting but it's about to blow centre stage as New Zealand hosts the sport's World Championships this year.

This raumati, we're taking a closer look at some of the… Read more Audio

8:55 AM.A person has died following a house fire in Christchurch early this morning.

The fire was reported just before six this morning at a boarding house in the seaside suburb of New Brighton.

Reporter… Read more Audio

8:54 AM.Back to Rotorua... conservation efforts in the Dansey Scenic Reserve has seen the return of rare birdlife after seven years. The Long-Tailed Cuckoo or koekoea have returned to roost after intensive… Read more Audio

8:50 AM.Auckland's giant "creepy" Santa has watched over the CBD for the last time.

The 18-metre figure came down over the weekend, after last year it was decided he wouldn't go up again. And while it may… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.The government is going into 2020 with a massive workplan for the education sector.

It is making huge legislative changes for schools, merging all of the country's polytechnics and facing… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.Electric vehicles continue to rise in popularity, but continue to be a subject of debate across the water cooler.

Just how good are they for the environment, compared to low emissions petrol of… Read more Audio

8:35 AM.The Taiwanese people have re-elected their president Tsai Ing-Wen, with a landslide victory that commentators say is a snub to mainland China.

The results shows the Taiwanese people favour Tsai's… Read more Audio

8:28 AM.It's been a year since Rakiura/Stewart Island was internationally recognised for its pristine night sky.

Rakiura - which means glowing skies - was named the world's fifth Dark Sky Sanctuary with… Read more Audio

8:25 AM.The week-long national Waka Ama sprint championships have kicked off at Lake Karapiro.

We talked with organiser Lara Collins about the growth of the sport and what's happening during the week. Read more Audio

8:20 AM.As a Lyttelton berth designed to fit the worlds biggest cruise ships nears completion, there's concern there's been long-term damage to the local Hectors dolphins.

Researchers are worried the noisy… Read more Audio

8:16 AM.On Vanuatu's Pentecost Island, each year "land divers" tie vines around their ankles before leaping from a 30 foot platform.

The traditional practice goes back centuries, and AJ Hackett's website… Read more Audio

8:13 AM.The former world tennis number one, Serena Williams, has been crowned the ASB Women's Classic champion last night, winning over any New Zealand doubters.

The 38-year-old, considered among the very… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.A father and son who were found dead off the Wairarapa coast on Saturday are being remembered as a hard-working and loving pair.

Darren and Joshua Southon had been snorkelling for paua near Mataikona… Read more Audio

7:55 AM.For today's summer hotspot we are swapping out beaches for lakes and everything action in Rotorua.

The Chief Executive of Destination Rotorua. Michelle Templer, speaks to Leigh-Marama McLachlan. Read more Audio

7:53 AM.A mass gathering of sharks in the shallows of Great Barrier Island has locals on the lookout, while others steer clear of the water.

Hundreds of young hammerheads are swimming in schools through the… Read more Audio

7:49 AM.ACC is today beginning a campaign aimed at making themselves more accessible to Maori, who are less likely overall, to make injury claims than non-Maori.

That is despite Maori, overall, being… Read more Audio

7:45 AM.Paua populations in the Marlborough region have been decimated by overfishing after a ban was placed along the Kaikoura coast, following the November 2016 earthquake.

The increase in diving in the… Read more Audio

7:39 AM.Senior royals have been summoned by the Queen to discuss the future of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan made the announcement they would be "stepping back" as senior… Read more Audio

7:35 AM.Iranians are furious after revelations their military shot down a Ukrainian airplane, killing all 176 passengers and crew.

Protests erupted after Saturday's admission that the military had… Read more Audio

7:26 AM.The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed he wants wide-ranging review into the response to the bushfire disaster.

With the Australian bush burning for nearly three months now… Read more Audio

7:24 AM.An immigration lawyer says the decision to deport a Tongan woman who became paralysed following a surgery in New Zealand, is justified.

Taipaleti Vaeatangitau was injured playing netball in Tonga and… Read more Audio

7:21 AM.Questions have been raised about how the police got information for a search warrant they carried out at the house of a right-wing blogger - and whether it was done so legally.

Armed police searched… Read more Audio

7:13 AM.Members of the public have offered to donate their own skin to help severely burnt victims of the Whakaari/White Island eruption.

Hospitals here and in Australia have required record amounts of skin… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.Police will reassess their search for a kayaker missing on Lake Ellesmere south of Christchurch this morning, which has been ongoing since Saturday.

Only the man's kayak was found yesterday afternoon… Read more Audio