Have a read of some of RNZ's latest upbeat news. Photo: RNZ
New ideas to track recovering native bird populations, the return of a national golf competition and a children's cultural festival marking 30 years are among the latest feel-good stories from RNZ.
Golf NZ to revive NZ Women's Open on the back of Lydia Ko's success
New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko after winning gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Photo: RNZ
Golf New Zealand hopes the momentum generated by Lydia Ko's Paris Olympics and British Women's Open tournament wins will help double the number of women and girls participating in golf over the next five years.
Chief executive Jeff Latch said Ko's success over the last month represents a once in a generation opportunity to encourage more women and girls into the sport.
"We would love to see more women and girls playing golf and initiatives such as She Loves Golf and our talent development programme are helping grow the female game," Latch said.
Scientists considering ways artificial intelligence could help New Zealand birds
Photo: Rose Davis
A study to identify individual kākā using AI has received a funding boost of $1 million, one of a number of research projects using artificial intelligence "for good".
The project is a collaboration between Dr Rachael Shaw and AI lecturer Andrew Lensen, who have been working on a way to make monitoring birds easier. Lensen said it was increasingly difficult to keep track of individual birds as they spread out beyond the Zealandia predator free enclave in Wellington, where the species has flourished in recent years.
South Asian artists in the spotlight at Auckland Fringe Festival
Nadia Freeman created Coolie: The Story of the Girmityas. Photo: Supplied
The Auckland Fringe Festival has returned for a month-long celebration of experimental arts and culture, and South Asian artists are bringing laughter, magic and history to the stages.
Nadia Freeman's latest work gives life to the hidden voice of her ancestors, shedding a light on Indian indentured labourers through electronic music and theatre: "It's really personal because it is my grandparents' story. It's a story that no one in my family knew, and it wasn't passed down or shared."
Freeman said she is trying to express gratitude to her ancestors and honour them through her show.
The everyday objects that just keep on keeping on
Some of the trusty objects that fans say have proved long-lasting and trusty. Photo: RNZ
In a world where nothing seems built to last, it's comforting to know there are some rugged items that keep delivering the goods day after day. Like journalist Peter De Graaf's 1987 Toyota Corolla: "It was the first car I owned and lasted so long I'm still only on my second. It took me on countless road trips around Aotearoa, sometimes so loaded up with cousins and camping gear the suspension bottomed out on even the smallest bumps. It was also always the first car to pull away at the lights. I had to name it Silver Lightning."
How emergency doctor Inia Raumati beat racism: 'I just keep going'
Inia Raumati taking part in an ultramarathon. Photo: Supplied / Inia Raumati
Inia Raumati has been on the move his whole life. In his teenage years he started running as a way to cope with frustration and anger, an escape from bullying and racism. He's now attempting to run eight self-supported ultramarathons on every continent around the world this year. No one in the world has done that, he says.
In addition, Raumati is a doctor at Auckland Hospital and with his partner Vicki, he's started a scholarship to help kids reach their potential in running and their careers.
Tamariki cultural festival celebrates 30 years
Tamariki performing at Te Huihui Ngā o Tātarakihi, at Ōwae marae in Waitara. Photo: Emma Andrews
Children's cultural festival Te Huihuinga o Ngā Tātarakihi is celebrating its 30-year anniversary at Ōwae marae.
"In 1993, all the schools in Waitara came together to do kapa haka, and it was Kevin Southee that said we should do this every year," current organiser Rangimokai Knuckey said.
Knuckey (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, me Te Atiawa) was six years old when she participated in the first-ever Waitara festival and said it was special for her to be coordinating it now.
"It's more than just kapa haka, it's about exposure to culture for all tamariki and whānau."
