Meet the diverse group of New Zealanders who made us want to dig a little deeper.
Mountaineering widow Jan Arnold on the film Everest
Nelson doctor Jan Arnold's mountaineer husband Rob died in a brutal storm on Mount Everest in 1996. The 2015 film Everest told the story of Rob and his fellow climbers.
Photo: Radio NZ / Tracy Neal
Te Kehukehu Butler: 'My cancer is my mōkai [pet]'
Te Kehukehu, who has prostate cancer, believes that the illness is a part of his body, and therefore he takes care of it with good kai, exercise, and mindful thinking.
Te Kehukehu at his home in Matapihi. Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray
Pio Terei and Nicola 'Nix' Adams on Terei Tonight
Facebook star Nicola 'Nix' Adams' and comedian Pio Terei chat about their new show on Māori TV.
Photo: FMAMEA PHOTO
Writing romance bestsellers from a Te Puke orchard
Rural mother-of-four Joanne Wadsworth has been writing romance stories since 2009 and her books feature on the New York Times bestseller list.
Author Joanne Wadsworth Photo: Supplied
Warrior Kid Tim Tipene
As a white boy with a Māori name, Tim Tipene constantly faced suspicion. But his adoptive Tipene whānau gave him the love that would later save his life.
Photo: Supplied
High school mums (and their inspirational teacher)
Dru Brown and Cierrah Puke are two of the teen mums featured in the new TVNZ series High School Mums. Lee Marchioni is one of their inspirational teachers.
Photo: High School Mums / TVNZ
Mo Muse: a first-generation Somali-NZ rapper
Auckland musician Mo Muse's latest project First Generation is an ode to his fellow immigrant kids.
Photo: Supplied
Asking for spare change, landing a job instead!
Domino's pizza franchise owner Rishi Sharma was on his way to work one day when he saw a man using a pizza box to ask for spare change. Instead of giving him a few coins, he ended up giving Brian 'Sooty' Wallace a job.
Rishi Sharma (R) and Brian "Sooty" Wallace Photo: supplied
Golriz Ghahraman: finding her place in Aotearoa
Iranian-born Golriz Ghahraman arrived in New Zealand with her parents as a 9-year-old, making history in 2017 when she became the first New Zealand MP with a refugee background.
Golriz Ghahraman Photo: supplied / Todd Henry Photography
Whaitiri Poutawa: The "Māori Thor" taking kapa haka online
Kapa haka teacher Whaitiri Poutawa loves his job and had a "mini freak-out" when he couldn't visit schools during lockdown. He decided to take his classes online, attracting thousands of viewers from around the world.
Wellington Kapa haka teacher Whaitiri Poutawa Photo: YouTube screenshot
