Sonia Sly
Listener Feedback
Some of what you've had to say about what's on the programme today. Audio
Are We There Yet? Tirau - corrugated iron capital
A giant dog and sheep tower over the main street of Tirau, just two of a series of sculptures and buildings made from corrugated iron a common building material in New Zealand. Audio
Are We There Yet? - Tokoroa timber town
From the 1940s Tokoroa town was developed in a forestry area to house workers constructing and then operating the nearby Kinleith pulp and paper mill. Audio
Are We There Yet? - Hatupatu's Rock
A distinctive rock by the side of State Highway One is significant to Maori for its role in the story of Hatupatu. Audio
Are We There Yet? - Te Kuiti, shearing capital
Te Kuiti hosts a yearly carnival, including a 'running of the sheep' down the main street, and a shearing competition where champion shearers are put through their paces. Audio
Friday's competition results
Our last Kiwi summer competition was a doozy on Friday, thanks so much for your weather related similies, we were impressed! Audio
Are We There Yet? - Chew Chong, Taranaki entrepreneur
One of New Zealand's first dairy factories was opened near Eltham in 1887 by Chinese entrepreneur Chew Chong. Audio
Are We There Yet? - Kings of Hawera
Author Ronald Hugh Morrieson was never popular in his home town of Hawera, which was recognisably skewered in his novels. Hawera is also home to Kevin Wasley, a dedicated Elvis Presley fan who runs a… Audio
Are We There Yet? - Patea Maori Club
The 1982 closure of the Patea freezing works could have spelled the death of the town. But salvation came from the lively song Poi e, which became a 1984 hit single for the local Patea Maori Club. Audio
Are We There Yet? - Foxton and flax
The sleepy town of Foxton was once home to a thriving flax-milling industry. Audio
Are We There Yet? - Kapiti Island
Once a base for the famous chief Te Rauparaha and the Ngati Toa tribe, with up to 3,000 occupants, Kapiti Island is now a wildlife sanctuary, where the eradication of pests has allowed kiwi, takahe… Audio
Your favourite walking tracks
Listeners sent in their memories and descriptions of their favourite walking tracks. Audio
Are We There Yet? - Attack on Opepe
A military blunder by colonial forces at Opepe in 1869 led to a surprise attack by Maori prophet and rebel Te Kooti and his men. Audio
Are We There Yet? - Te Pohue, travellers' stop
Remote Te Pohue, on the Napier-Taupo highway, was once on a Maori track cutting across the tribal boundaries of Ngati Kahungunu and Ngati Tuwharetoa. Audio
Are We There Yet? - Fruitful Eskdale
The fertile soils around Eskdale produce apples, stonefruit and grapes for winemaking. Audio
Kumara recipe competition
Listeners sent in simple recipes for kumara, including Kumara and Carrot Latkes, Gingered Kumara Chunks, and Sweet Kumara with Maple Syrup. Audio
Are We There Yet? - Lake Rotoaira
The famed 'Ka mate' haka was composed by Ngati Toa chief Te Rauparaha as he hid from pursuers on an island in Lake Rotoaira. Audio
Are We There Yet? - Tangiwai rail disaster
Tangiwai means 'weeping waters', and the name seemed sadly apt in 1953, when a lahar destroyed the railway bridge and a passenger express plunged into the river killing 151 people. Audio