Tess Brunton
Queenstown residents trapped with no jobs, can't pay rent
Queenstown residents say they're trapped in tenancy agreements they can't escape as rents begin to return to normal. Thousands of jobs have been lost in the resort town with more expected to go after… Audio
Tourists return to Queenstown after weeks of lockdown
Queenstown rolled out the welcome mat to domestic visitors today as passenger planes flew in for the first time since April 1.
The district has been reeling from thousands of job losses, with more… Video, Audio
Tourism Minister under fire as industry faces thousands of job losses
The Tourism Minister is under fire for not acting fast enough in response to Covid-19 impacts.
Tourism operators say hundreds of thousands more jobs could be lost while they wait for details of a… Audio
Ski resorts expect low numbers without international tourists
Ski resorts expect visitor numbers will be cut in half as border closures keep international guests off the slopes.
The industry received a big boost on Thursday with news that ski fields can open in… Audio
Thousands made redundant as tourism businesses enter hibernation
Thousands of tourism workers have been made redundant as businesses scramble for capital and cut their size.
Many are entering hibernation. This is an industry that previously supported close to… Audio
Coronavirus: Thousands of tourists could be stranded in NZ
Tens of thousands of people may be left stranded in New Zealand as popular transit airports start to close their doors.
Singapore's Changi Airport banned all transiting visitors yesterday while… Audio
Covid-19: Dunedin high school shut after student infected
Logan Park High School in Dunedin is closed today and tomorrow after a student tested positive for Covid-19 - the country's 12th case.
The teenager is one of two family members tested after his… Audio
Milford Sound road could soon open overnight
The road to Milford Sound could soon be reopened to the public - but only at night.
Locals say a Transport Agency proposal is a step forward but many are frustrated that while they'll be limited to… Audio
Locals want more access to Milford Sound
Members of the public may get overnight access back into Milford Sound from the 16th of March. It's the first time the public would be allowed access to the tourist hotspot since the region was… Audio
Tourist bus convoy heads back into Milford Sound
Dozens of tourist buses were allowed to travel the Milford Road today for the first time since a storm closed the road at the start of Feburary.
The popular tourist area was hit by heavy rain and… Audio
Milford Sound roads to reopen today
Up to 60 millimetres of rain has fallen this morning, but organisers are confident tourists will be cruising through the Milford Sound before lunchtime, after the road needed major repairs due to… Audio
'Tinder for tourism' goes nationwide
It's been described as Tinder for tourism - and already "Go with Tourism" is reporting hundreds of successful matches less than a year since its launch.
Now the online platform that connects… Audio
Thermal imaging to be used in search for missing hiker
Thermal imaging is expected to be used in the search for a British tramper missing in Mt Aspiring National Park. Stephanie Simpson, who's 32 and originally from Essex but lives in Wanaka, left to go… Audio
Lumsden locomotive emerges from mud after 93 years
A relic of New Zealand's rail past has emerged from the mud 93 years after being dumped in a Southland River.
The Lumsden Heritage Trust has been campaigning to retrieve the two 1885 V class steam… Video, Audio
Southlanders embrace new flight to Auckland
Southlanders are embracing a new direct jet flight connecting them to Auckland with more than 46,000 seats already sold.
The inaugural Auckland - Invercargill flight was heralded as a game changer… Audio
More to be done to reach sustainable tourism future
Tourism sector leaders say they're putting in the hard yards to ensure a sustainable future for the industry - but there's plenty of work still to go.
The government unveiled its tourism strategy… Audio
A dark sky at Rakiura/Stewart Island brightens tourism
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… Audio
Oppressive smoke, blocked roads - RNZ reporter on Aus fires
RNZ reporter Tess Brunton is visiting her family home in Tathra, on the south-east coast of New South Wales.
She told Leigh-Marama McLachlan that on New Year's Eve, the fires got so close, she and… Audio
NZ wetlands vulnerable to climate change
A new Department of Conservation report is highlighting how vulnerable Aotearoa's wetlands are to climate change. The report is one of the first of its kind for DOC and uses existing information from… Audio
Tourists aware but not deterred by White Island eruption
Tourists say they have become more aware of the risks of travelling in New Zealand in the wake of the Whakaari White Island eruption, but it isn't a deterrent.
Tess Brunton reports. Audio