RNZ: Nine To Noon

Against the odds, a takahe pair believed to be infertile have successfully hatched a chick at Wellington's Zealandia Te Mara a Tane. Dr Danielle Shanahan, Chief Executive of Zealandia joins Bryan to share the exciting news.

There's been a surge in demand for cassettes, CDs and portable audio devices. Matthew Davis, owner of Flying Out Record Store, is with Bryan to discuss the trend.

In the last stop on our urban vacation tour, Kaila Colbin joins Bryan to tell us how we can have a wonderful holiday staycation in Christchurch.

Alice Taylor is joining Bryan across the week to give yummy and simple Christmas gift ideas. Today it's simple brownies and garlic oil. Check out Alice's popular Instagram for more festive inspiration.

Observers may have noticed parts of Rotorua looking a little sharper with berms trimmed, rubbish cleared, and lawns neatly edged. That tidy-up was driven by local rangatahi (youth) who have stepped forward to give their streets a festive spruce-up. A crew of about a dozen young people, led by Waiariki Whanau Mentoring youth mentor Thomas Peato, has gathered once a week through December for a full day of maintenance mahi (work). He joins Bryan for a chat.

Senior lecturer at AUT, Dr Amandine Sabadel is a chemist, ecologist, environmental scientist and an eel expert. She's with Bryan to discuss why finding where they breed is so important - and why it's proving so difficult.

We think it's a good idea to recognise some of those who'll keep working through the summer break, so that the rest of us can enjoy a holiday. We've chatted to a nurse and a fire fighter - and today, it's a ranger. Riki Bennett is Ngahere Ranger in the Waitakere Ranges - he joins Bryan for a chat.

Food waste, wrapping paper, plastic packaging - Christmas can be a wasteful time. Georgie Ferrari, Chief Executive at Sustainability Trust, join Bryan to discuss the practical steps we can take to have a sustainable holiday.

Part two of our Staycation - or urban vacation series - depending on where you live. Today - Te Whanganui O Tara - Wellington, with Simon Woolf, who's well qualified, first because he lives there, secondly, because he's just written a book about the city, Wellington Moods.

Summer is the season for walking. Doug Haynes is walking Te Araroa, the National Trail. He's a golf caddie by trade and obviously loves his job, because he's carrying two sets of golf clubs with him - either that or he's stopping at every golf course along the way. We're not sure whether Doug is heading north or south, but he joins Bryan on the line from Taumarunui.

Alice Taylor is joining Bryan across the week to give yummy and simple Christmas gift ideas.

Now here's a challenge for anyone with children - find things to do that get them off their screens, get them moving and won't hit parents in the pocket. That's where Bryan's guest comes in. Dr. Susannah Smith is President and Board Chair of Physical Education New Zealand and an Associate Professor at University of Canterbury.

Christmas is a time when many of us head back to the family home - the marae - and in the case of many Pacific Islanders - the village. People like Kayla Tuara are taking their family back to the Cook Islands for Christmas. Kayla joins Bryan from Rarotonga.

We reckon it's a good idea to recognise some of those who'll keep working through the summer break, so that the rest of us can enjoy a holiday. Yesterday it was Ian King - on call most of the summer break for the Otaki Volunteer Fire Brigade. Today on the run home to Christmas, we celebrate the work of Holly Rawiri, Duty Nurse Manager at Taranaki Hospital.

We can't get enough colossal squid action, and it turns out 2025 was a big year for the massive creature. Here to tell us more, is Professor Kat Bolstad - head of the AUT Squid Squad.

Who can resist an interview with Scott Base? The town under New Zealand jurisdiction will most likely get a white Christmas - in fact if it doesn't, you might need to reassess that oceanside property you had your eyes on. Faith Farquhar-Culling is the volunteer social club president at Scott Base this summer - what a job - she joins Bryan for a chat.

RNZ Business Editor Gyles Beckford joins Bryan to chat about the new free trade deal with India.

Need some ideas if you're staying put in Auckland this holiday season? The City of Sails is packed with lots of low-cost adventures and special events, if you know where to look. Here to point us in the right direction is Annie Dundas from Tataki Auckland Unlimited.

Alice Taylor, who's known as 'alicetayloreats' on Instagram, joins Bryan over the next three days offering last minute ideas that don't involve a lot of money or time.

Here's someone else who won't be putting his feet up over the Christmas break. Ian King became a career firefighter in 1974 and is now the chief fire officer in Otaki, where he's lived for 50 years. He joins Bryan to tell us more.

It's the school holidays, but you know you're really winning with the kids when they take an active interest in a subject outside the classroom. Morgan McKeen is a science technology engineering and mathematics specialist teacher at Milford School in Auckland. Our topic today is taking science on holiday with you.

While Spotify has revolutionised the way we listen to music, online shopping has done the same for retail, not to mention books. More and more people are buying online, so what's it like running a bookstore in a tiny community? Leigh Hickey runs The Good Story bookstore in Akaroa, on Banks Peninsula, which opened in April 2024. She joins Bryan to share more of her story.

We reckon it's a good idea to recognise some of those who'll keep working through the summer break, so that the rest of us can enjoy a holiday. People like Kerry Stanley, who runs the Waka Kai, making deliveries from New World Whitianga around the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. If you know the region, you'll know Cooks Beach is five minutes by boat from Whitianga, it's 45 minutes by car - and that's on a good day. And you can't count on a good day at this time of year. This is the sixth year Kerry's been running the Waka Kai, and he's joins Bryan to tell us more.

When Stevin Creegan gets on his Harley Davison to go on a ride, his best mate Loki is always along for the journey.

Nota Bene sing Christmas songs live in studio, and Kathryn looks back on 2025 with panelists te Radar, Irene Pink, Sam Ackerman and Kirsten Zemke.

He's been considered one for years - but last month Sir Sam Neill was officially designated a Screen Legend. The honour marking his stellar fifty year career was handed out at the New Zealand Screen Awards and followed his Logie for 'Best Lead Actor' in the series The Twelve at the Australian TV awards in August. From Sleeping Dogs and Reilly, Ace of Spies.... to Jurassic Park, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, The Tudors....his CV is a veritable chocolate box of roles from which fans can pick their favourites. When he's not filming, the Central Otago resident can be found on his Two Paddocks farm and vineyard surrounded by his celebrity-named animals. Most recently Sir Sam has been outspoken in his opposition to plans to fast-track a goldmine in the local Bendigo area. Kathryn speaks to him about his concerns about that project, his latest screen honours and what he can detail about his upcoming projects.

South East Asia's biggest sporting event winds up tomorrow, and playing for the Thai women's side has been Wellington's Natalie Olson. 

It took him more than a decade - but earlier this year Simon Olliver achieved the incredible feat of becoming the oldest person to complete the gruelling Oceans Seven swim. 

Kathryn and commentators look back on the year in politics, business, the economy and science.

Tom Augustine is a Tamaki based filmmaker and critic. 

Summer holidays come with plenty of opportunities for children to utter 'I'm bored'. Parenting expert Zhenlin Wang on whether that's a bad thing.

Tech journalist Bill Bennett looks at how 2025 became the year tech giants became deeply entangled in geopolitics. 

The economy rebounded in the September quarter, after contracting in the June period. 

Libby Kirkby-McLeod is a senior RNZ reporter based in Hamilton

Cynthia Morahan reviews The Funeral Crashers by Joanna Nell, published by Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand.

Natasha Clark is political editor for LBC London.

Tasman District mayor Tim King joins Kathryn to talk about how the region and its recovery is going.

Former National Minister and academic Marilyn Waring who set up the People's Select Committee gives an update on pay equity progress.

Auckland Airport chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui talks through the big changes and what they mean for the Auckland economy.

Cases brought by family carers that have been on hold for years in the Employment Relations Authority are now waiting for direction.

Science commentator Dr Jen Martin joins Kathryn with four of the top discoveries of the year.

2025 marked another year of big developments in space exploration, including NASA's Project Artemis that will take humans farther from Earth than anyone's been for over 50 years.