South Island

South Island businesses are standing behind the lockdown, saying it's a gutting but necessary decision.

Tess Brunton reports. Audio

A stopper's been placed on drunken teenage parties at a popular South Island camp ground - with a booze ban put in place.

Loch Laird, near Otematata, is a popular haunt for high school-aged students… Audio

Chris and Anne-Marie Allen have owned Anna Dale Farm for nearly 30 years. It's a 300-hectare farm at Ashburton Forks and was severely damaged by flood waters over the last week. Anne-Marie joins the… Audio

The Ashburton River Bridge on State Highway One is still closed for testing to find out how bad the damage is. An inland route is now open to heavy vehicles, such as freight trucks, but earlier this… Audio

There have been more reports of big cats in the South Island, and we've spoken to four people who have varying accounts. Yolanda van Heezik is a professor in the zoology department at Otago University… Audio

If you live in the South Island - Mel Parsons is coming to a woolshed near you. The multi-award winning musician's teamed up with the comedy duo The Bitches' Box as part of 2020's The Woolshed Tour. 

Why are there so few indigenous surgeons and why does it matter? Emma Espiner is in Whangarei and has a frank conversation with Dr Maxine Ronald, one of the few Māori surgeons in Aotearoa. Emma… Audio

Phil Keoghan grew up in awe of the strength and discipline of his own family members - a lineage that included farmers, gold miners, builders and coal minders. His new series, Tough as Nails is in… Video, Audio

On the 17th of June, 1843, an armed party of New Zealand Company settlers clashed with Ngati Toa over the purchase of land in the Wairau Valley. The settlers came off worst, losing 22 of their number… Audio, Gallery

Science writer Vicki Hyde and her husband Peter were getting ready to go on a trip to the Carribean when Covid-19 started gripping the globe. Now, nestled up at home, she's abandoned 2020 in favour of… Audio

Author Sarah Ell's new book Lost Wonders: Vanished Creatures of Aotearoa is an all-ages introduction to the vanished creatures of Aotearoa New Zealand, from the long extinct species to those now on… Audio

It's wild salmon fishing season, and our guest this week, Chief Executive of North Canterbury Fish & Game, Rasmus Gabrielsson, talks about efforts to keep the fishery sustainable. Audio

11:20 Worth a detour: The travel guide to hidden Kiwi gems

Author Peter Janssen has spent years travelling around New Zealand, finding all the out-of-the-way places that are worth a look. And… Audio

Author Graeme Lay says it's misleading for people to accuse Captain James Cook as being an imperialist and a destroyer of cultures, when he was largely revered by Maori in New Zealand.  Audio

Many people around the South Island woke to a winter wonderland this morning that closed roads, schools and isolated towns. Video, Audio

Some South Island ski fields are breathing a sigh of relief as heavy snow begins to fall this evening. This comes during what's been called a very mild winter, with ski fields relying on snowmakers to… Video, Audio

An earthquake felt across the lower South Island over the weekend has reignited calls to prepare for the big Alpine Fault quake. As Logan Church reports, communities are coming up with creative ways… Video, Audio

Moa footprints are being carefully extracted from a rural Otago river, where they were discovered by chance in March. The footprints are believed to be a couple million years old, and the first… Video, Audio