Podcasts about Otago

On this episode, Alina Utrata talks to Olivier Jutel, a lecturer at the University of Otago and an expert in cyberlibertarianism. They discuss the ideology of many technology industry elites and the strange political ideas permeating through Silicon Valley. What makes these Sand Hill Road venture capitalists different from the East Coast banking establishment? Why are they imagining a world of venture capitalists in miniature? How does this relate to the Network State treatisie? Can you really “exit” or “LARP” a country into existence? And is this all just capitalism, or something else?For a complete reading list from the episode, check out the Anti-Dystopians substack at bit.ly/3kuGM5X.You can follow Alina Utrata on Bluesky at @alinau27.bsky.socialAll episodes of the Anti-Dystopians are hosted and produced by Alina Utrata and are freely available to all listeners. To support the production of the show, subscribe to the newsletter at bit.ly/3kuGM5X.Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4148-nowhere-landLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Otago business Harraways and Sons is investing $11m in its oat mill, the only operational one in the country.

First we needed to worry about cigarettes .. then vapes .. and now nicotine pouches. Nicotine pouches are pretty much what they sound like - a sachet filled with nicotine - either from tobacco or synthetic nicotine. You can't buy them in New Zealand legally, but you can import them for personal use. Experts are now trying to get ahead of the trend, because they say the pouches are really addictive and really appealing to young people. Janet Hoek is a Professor in Public Health at the University of Otago, she chats to Jesse.

Whenever I hear or read news headlines these days, I know that the headlines will be just that for so many people. Headlines. People won't hear or they won't read beyond the headline, and then they'll form their own opinions based on nothing more than 20 words or fewer. I've got numerous examples of that. Even people that I would have thought would understand the media, like journalists, they'll look at a headline and think, "Oh, you know, subscriber only, I'm not going to pay. I'm just going to draw my own conclusions from the headline," which they know is flawed and ridiculous. You have to read the body of the story. If you just go on the headline, then you are going to be misinformed. It's a bit like the cancer diagnosis headline that's in the news today. "Cancer diagnosis numbers set to skyrocket by 50% over the next two decades". As soon as I read that, I could write the text to this show myself. Example: Yeah, have a look at how many of them were vaxed. Join the dots, and variations on that theme. Or I could imagine people thinking, "Oh my god, cancer diagnoses are up. I'm going to die." Or putting my young activist cap on, Māori are around 1.6 times more likely to die from cancer than Pākehā or other ethnicities. So the young activists are like, "Yeah, that's right, man, institutional racism inherent in the system. Yeah. It's colonialism. That's what's causing that." In fact, when you look beyond the headlines, when you read beyond the headlines, there's actually a lot of good news in the story, if you are willing to take the time to read it or listen to the interviews. Since the first state of cancer report five years ago, there has been encouraging progress in key areas of prevention, early detection, and treatment. Cancer diagnoses might be skyrocketing, but that's because they've got better diagnostic tools. We can find it before it does the damage. The chance of surviving cancer has improved over the last 20 years. The five-year net survival for all cancers has improved by 15% in the last 20 years, probably due to the screening and the advances in treatment. And even better is the news that many, many of the cancers that afflict us can be prevented by us. We have the power to reduce our risk of some cancers, as Dr. Chris Jackson, Professor of Oncology at University of Otago and practising medical oncologist, explained to Heather du Plessis-Allan this morning. CJ: 20% of all cancers are related to smoking, 20%. So if you get rid of smoking, you would cut the number of cancers by 20%. So that is undisputed. HDPA: Even though the numbers are so small nowadays? CJ: Yeah, well, it's probably going to, certainly it is going down, but those people who've been smoking are still going to be going through the system for that amount of time. The number the number two cause is obesity. So New Zealand's what, the third most obese country in the world now, I think? And we're seeing a rise in some obesity-related cancers now also, and I think if we could fix that, that would be the other big thing in terms of prevention. The other key thing, which is a very New Zealand thing, is our love affair with the sun. And as we come into summer months, I think we have to reflect on the old slip, slop, slap thing. Australia has done the sun prevention thing better than we have, and our skin cancer rates are now higher than theirs. Absolutely. There are still many, many mysteries around cancers. There are cancer clusters within families, there are rising rates of healthy young people being diagnosed with bowel cancer. There is much work for cancer researchers to do. But they've also done a lot of work in the field of many cancers and have found the cause and effect. Smoking increases your risk of cancer, obesity increases your risk of cancer, ignoring sun warnings increases your risk of cancer. So we need to pay heed, if we want to. Make the changes you need to your lifestyle, you improve your chances of a healthy active life. Don't, get sick. Take advantage of the free buses that will take you to the free screening because early detection is the best prevention, or don't. And you'll pay the ultimate price. I mean, the headline, if you just simply looked at it, you could form your own conclusion. You could absolutely go off onto an interpretive dance of your own misinformation, your own prejudice, your own beliefs. Cancer diagnosis numbers set to skyrocket by 50% over the next two decades. In fact, beyond the headlines, there is so much good news in there. And one of the key messages I think that we need to take from it is the fact that we have a little bit of control and agency over our own lives, that it is not inevitable that we get cancer, we get sick and we die. There is much we can do to prevent it. Early detection is the best prevention. The treatments are good, provided you go along and you get the screenings, and you keep up to date with your health, you pay attention to your body, and you think that you're worth it. When we look at the numbers who are disproportionately affected by cancer, you have to ask how many are helping themselves. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Preventing reproduction can extend lifespan in mammals across a wide range of species, a new study has found. A major international study led by the University of Otago has found that blocking reproduction increases lifespan in both males and females across a wide range of species. Lead author Associate Professor Mike Garratt, of Otago's School of Biomedical Sciences, joined the Afternoons team to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Lung Cancer Considered, host Dr. Stephen Liu speaks with two thoracic oncologists practicing in New Zealand—Dr. Laird Cameron from Auckland Hospital and Dr. Annie Wong from the University of Otago—about the unique challenges and approaches to lung cancer care in their island nation of 5.4 million people. The conversation explores New Zealand's healthcare coverage system, patient population characteristics including smoking rates, the current state of lung cancer screening programs, and how molecular testing is conducted for non-small cell lung cancer patients. Drs. Cameron and Wong discuss access to targeted therapies and immunotherapy, the drug approval process in New Zealand, cultural considerations and health disparities affecting lung cancer treatment, and the clinical research infrastructure available in the country. This global perspective highlights how IASLC members face different regional challenges while working toward common goals in advancing lung cancer care.

Tess reports on Woolworths in Dunedin South pleading guilty over a rat infestation, Dunedin Council agrees to a housing outreach service and super snowmakers on the way for Coronet Peak.

Bike trail builders in central Otago are talking about an end to the 'dark days' when they ran into a mess of conservation rules, stopping many tracks being built for years. Phil Pennington reports.

Former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer says the government is pushing too many laws through under urgency, skipping public consultation and proper scrutiny. Leader of the House Chris Bishop says "urgency is not ideal but unavoidable". To unpack this we're joined by public law expert Professor Andrew Geddis from the University of Otago.

This week on the Monday Wire: For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about the government choosing not to go ahead with the Climate Change Commission's recommendations on how to reduce methane emissions. Producer Alex spoke to Lisa Ellis, a Professor in Philosophy at the University of Otago, about the government's decision to reject the climate change commission's recommendation to include shipping and aviation emissions from our national emissions targets, and what that means for our Paris Agreement commitments. Joel spoke to Boyd Swinburn, a Professor of Population Nutrition and Global Health at the University of Auckland and Co-Chair of Health Coalition Aotearoa about San Francisco's lawsuit against companies producing highly-processed food, and what we could see as a result here in New Zealand. And Alex spoke to Chief Advisor at Forest & Bird, Richard Capie, about the Fast Track Amendment bill, the lack of engagement with feedback in the Environment Select Committee's report recommending any changes, and what it means for our environment. Whakarongo mai!

Last week, the government announced that they would not be making changes to the way we calculate our emissions targets according to the advice of the Climate Change Commission. One change that was rejected was the inclusion of international shipping and aviation emissions; the flying and shipping that is so key to New Zealand's economy, through tourism and elsewhere, is excluded from our emissions targets, despite being a significant chunk of our emissions. This means, however, that in the face of our Paris Agreement commitments, the Government has opted to keep working with an incomplete picture of our economies emissions. Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Professor of Philosophy at the University of Otago, Lisa Ellis, about these emissions, and what this rejection means for how we present ourselves and neighbours and a member of the international community.

The North and South Islands are living two completely different financial realities - and the wealth gap is bigger than you think.In this episode, we break down why regions like Canterbury, Otago, and Southland are outperforming the major centres - from lower debt loads and cheaper housing to booming primary industries - while Auckland and Wellington grapple with high mortgages, sluggish sectors, and rising unemployment.For more money tips follow us on:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.

Among everyday vehicles, nearly half are overdue for either their Warrant of Fitness (WOF) or their registration, according to a vehicle management app. Bonnet, an app that links to NZTA data crunched the numbers for 21,500 vehicles, privately owned and fleet operated. The Bonnet data shows in Northland, 66% of warrants are overdue, in Auckland around 16% have expired, but it's just 8% in Otago. AA's principal policy advisor, Terry Collins spoke to Lisa Owen.

Vitamin C cream is popular with skin-care devotees promising to help slow signs of aging, prevent sun damage, and improve the appearance of wrinkles & dark spots But it might be time to ditch the expensive creams. That's because researchers at the University of Otago's Christchurch Facility of Medicine have discovered that eating vitamin C is best way to get your Vitamin C hit. Lead author, University of Otago Professor Margreet Vissers joins Jesse. (Full transparency, the study was funded by a University of Otago research grant and Zespri International, who had no influence over study design protocols, results analysis or study publication.)

With the country set to miss its Smokefree 2025 target, the government is exploring legalising oral nicotine pouches. Professor Janet Hoek is co-director at ASPIRE Aotearoa, a University of Otago research centre, and spoke to Corin Dann.

Black Caps spinner Ish Sodhi is celebrating his first 'first-class century' after defeating Otago in Dunedin. Sodhi made an unbeaten 108 as Canterbury racked up 501 for 7, on day two of their Plunket Shield match. Ish Sodhi joined Jason Pine to review his achievement, and discuss what it means to him and the team. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk with physiologist Elliot Jenkins about how passive heat acclimation boosts VO2 max, hemoglobin mass, and cardiac function in trained runners without adding mechanical training load. Practical protocols, safety tips, and open research questions round out a clear, actionable guide to using heat wisely.• Elliot's path from Otago to a PhD in the UK• Why passive heat instead of exercising in heat• Hematology: plasma volume expansion • Cardiac changes: larger end-diastolic volume and stroke volume• VO2 max and speed gains in trained runners• Practical protocol: time, temperature, frequency, hydration• Safety: dizziness, slow exits, supervision, low blood pressure• Dose-response unknowns and hot-climate athletes• Heat vs cold and contrast for recovery and adaptation• Where to find Elliot's paper and social links (see below).Follow Elliott Jenkins on X @E_J_Jenkins His paper is published here: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP289874

From heat watches to rain warnings - the South Island is bearing the brunt of some particularly changeable Spring weather. 

Health New Zealand says shifting appointments out of hospitals and into communities could spare Otago residents about 40-thousand road trips a year. It's unveiled some ideas for overhauling health services in Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes, after vowing in July to tackle long-standing inequities. As Katie Todd reports, the pitch had a mixed reaction in Wanaka.

New Zealand farms and food producers appear to be outpacing other countries when it comes to reducing food waste. A report commissioned by the Ministry of Environment reveals more than 1.2 million tonnes of food is wasted or thrown away here every year. The total proportion of food wasted is between 5 and 10 percent - considerably lower than the global estimate of 30 to 40 percent. University of Otago nutrition professor and report author Sheila Skeaff says household food waste is still as high as most other countries, but producers are ahead. "We produce a lot of food and we're pretty good at making sure that we make the best use of that, particularly on farms and in processing." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A dubious honour for New Zealand this week. The country received the 'Dirty Ashtray' award at a WHO tobacco control conference, and that followed the news that we've fallen from second to 53rd in the global tobacco industry interference index. That's on top of news that the tobacco black market in Australia is doing a raging trade right now. All of this has had us thinking about smoking rates, reputation, vaping and the black market here in New Zealand. Professor Janet Hoek is co-director at ASPIRE Aotearoa, a University of Otago research centre, she joins Jesse.

The time is right for New Zealand to join the rest of the world with a privately-backed, franchise Twenty20 league. That's the message from Don Mackinnon, the man standing at the front of the group looking to achieve just that. Some 22 years on from cricket introducing the shortest format, T20 has become the vehicle in which the sport is growing around the world. And, as is the case with sports like football and basketball, strong club-based franchise competitions have proven to be the main driver of that. Led by the Indian Premier League, established in 2008, the franchise game has slowly but surely expanded to all corners of the cricket-playing world. First to India, then England, Australia, Pakistan, the West Indies, South Africa and so on. Even non-cricketing strongholds such as the US, Canada and even Nepal have franchise domestic leagues. The only exception to that is New Zealand. Since the inception of T20 cricket, New Zealand has maintained a domestic competition made up of the six major associations – Auckland, Northern Districts, Wellington, Central Districts, Canterbury and Otago – known as the Super Smash. However, the lack of any franchise-style model has left the Super Smash outdated. Instead of operating as NZ Cricket's (NZC) main driver of revenue, the Super Smash instead operates as a breeding ground for local talent, allowing Kiwi players to develop and step into the Black Caps and White Ferns respectively. And while that might be beneficial for New Zealand's national sides, the Super Smash being left off Sky's new cricket broadcast deal from the start of next summer shows the model, as it stands, is broken. But, led by Mackinnon, a consortium that includes former Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming and NZ Cricket Players' Association boss Heath Mills wants to take New Zealand into the franchise world. The proposed “NZ20″ would involve teams created by the major associations being sold to private owners, and establish a league to be played at the height of the Kiwi summer in January, as early as the start of 2027. It would also provide parity to what has been shown to work around the world. While the format is still to be finalised, the NZ20 would theoretically be a Kiwi-based league providing New Zealand's players the opportunity to play a franchise competition at home. As and when a format is decided, and agreed to by NZ Cricket, the major associations and the players' association, the NZ20 would revolutionise the sport in Aotearoa. Speaking to Weekend Sport with Jason Pine, Mackinnon – the chairman of the NZ20 Establishing Committee – explained that while similar attempts to implement a franchise league in New Zealand haven't materialised, the state of the sport in 2025 has changed that equation. “If we go back a decade, I was on the board of NZ Cricket,” he said. “We looked at setting up a franchise league back in 2013-14. “At the time we didn't think it was viable. But as one highly respected figure put to me, there's never been more money in the international game of cricket at the moment. “So many people around the world are excited by it and investing in it, but New Zealand is not part of that. “I just think the time is right to tweak that model and create something in our domestic league that fans are excited by. The money is there, the interest is there. The timing is perfect.” Naturally, with this kind of expansion, falsehoods have materialised. For a start, Mackinnon dismisses any notion the NZ20 is a “rebel league”, as suggested when first reported. Mackinnon concedes “it would be crazy to do this without the support of NZC”. Earlier this year, the NZ20 Establishing Committee presented the concept to NZC. In turn, two members of the NZC board are also part of the Establishing Committee, at a time when the governing body assesses multiple options as to how to revolutionise the shortest format here. Mackinnon also points out that what the NZ20 intends to do isn't new. Cricketing nations across the globe have implemented the same models, where privately-backed franchises co-exist with national boards to allow T20 to operate as the centrepiece of the domestic season. Those models have provided the blueprint for the NZ20 Establishing Committee to take on board. “What we're looking to do here is not novel,” Mackinnon said. “In actual fact, it's done all around the world. “The better question might be ‘why aren't we?' The South African league, for example, has gone from loss-making to extraordinarily successful. The Caribbean league has done exactly the same. “The Caribbean league is probably the model we've mostly looked at as replicating, in part. It's a relatively small economy, a relatively small talent pool. And yet it is reinvigorating the game in the Caribbean. “Will it be here in 30 years' time? I don't know. But the model is certainly doing great things for the game at the moment. There is absolutely no reason why we can't do it here.” What's more, there is also evidence of Mackinnon's suggestion of franchises having stakes controlled by the major associations, while selling ownership to investors. For example, England's “The Hundred” competition initially involved its franchises being co-owned by the English county cricket sides. However, when put to tender earlier in 2025, hundreds of millions of pounds were raised for the counties to use as they saw fit, including investing in the grassroots. The biggest potential worry for the NZ20 – if successful – is the window in which it would operate. If Mackinnon's suggestion of January eventuates, the NZ20 would clash with Australia's Big Bash League, South Africa's SA20 and the UAE's ILT20. The SA20 and ILT20 are both owned by Indian private equity, while the Big Bash League is almost certain to follow a similar path in seeking outside investment. Naturally, then, that would leave the NZ20 competing for talent, be it local or international. For Mackinnon, though, the priority is ensuring the competition is primarily an outlet for New Zealanders. “We're really conscious of that,” he said. “The first thing is we want to make sure our very best players are playing in it. “Heath [Mills] has been talking a lot to the Daryl Mitchells of this world, the Kane Williamsons – our best players. They are incredibly excited about this as a concept. “First and foremost, you're going to have a young kid playing for Otago, bowling to Finn Allen for example. That's got to be good for the game in New Zealand. “There's an awful lot of really good white ball cricketers playing around the world, not all of them can play in South Africa and Australia. “I have no doubt that there would be the opportunity to supplement squads. They would still be very good, exciting players that would put bums on seats.” However, the NZ20 isn't the only option on the table for NZC. The national body is also undertaking a review, led by Deloitte, to determine which direction it should move in. While a similar, privately-backed franchise model is also on the table – separate from the NZ20 – the biggest potential rival would be for the NZC to seek having at least one side join Australia's Big Bash. While that would mean New Zealand and Australia joining forces – as seen with the Warriors in the NRL, the Breakers in the NBL and Auckland FC and the Wellington Phoenix in the A-League – it would also mean NZC has less influence on how the team could be run. Regardless, Mackinnon, said that while the NZ20 Establishing Committee believes it has the best way forward, it ultimately wants to see what's best for the sport – even if it means NZC moves in another direction. “I'll be the first to applaud NZ Cricket for looking at all of their options, they're doing the right thing,” he said. “If they say that's better for cricket in New Zealand, we will live with that and I will wish that project every success. “It seems to me a competition that's played throughout New Zealand, ideally at holiday venues at the peak of summer, with some of our best players playing, some great international players is better for fans, it's better for players, it's better for our regions, and personally I think it's better for our Black Cap and White Ferns development programmes. “But that's just our opinion. I fully accept that NZ Cricket are looking at all their options – as they should.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently on the show we've been talking a bit about Genetic Modification, and the Gene Technology bill currently in front of Parliament. So far, we've mostly focused on food. The pros, cons and issues with labelling. You can listen to all of those via the afternoons page on the RNZ website. Today we're looking at another application of the technology - helping us meet our predator free 2050 goal. To that end, Professor Peter Dearden is leading a research project at the university of Otago to create genetically modified wasps. He talks to Jesse.

Freedom Vaha'akaolo's story is one of the wildest and most emotional you'll ever hear. He is one incredibly talented rugby player who certainly didn't take the typical pathway.From the age of just 11 years old he was homeless, eating from trash cans, and learning how to survive. Years later, he was scoring tries for Otago using his speed and power which earned him a spot with the Highlanders.During that time he was involved in a cruel catfish scam almost ended it all.In this episode, Freedom opens up about:- What made a kid with two loving parent want to be homeless- What life was like on the streets as a young teenager- The impact that moving to 7 new schools had on him- His identity struggle coming from mixed heritage and the impact that had.- How he made the NZ schools camp in basically his first year of rugby- His pathway into professional rugby and the challenges involved.- How an online relationship turned into a disaster being catfished,- And how he's rebuilt himself through faith, therapy, and sport again.It's raw. It's real. It's one of the most powerful stories ever shared on What a Lad and that is no exaggeration. Let me know what you thought about it in the comments

In this episode, Tina chats with Mikki Williden to explore essential nutrition strategies for women in midlife. She discusses the pitfalls of common dietary habits and the importance of balancing fat loss goals without compromising hormones or energy levels. Mikki explains what 'metabolic flexibility' means and offers tips on shifting the body to burn more fat efficiently. She dives into how much protein women need for muscle maintenance, weight loss, and metabolism optimization, detailing how to distribute protein throughout the day for best results. She also discusses the concept of 'low carb' diets and their place for women over 40, offer strategies for fueling workouts, and highlight key supplements that support hormone balance and metabolic health. She also shares her insights on nutrition myths that need to be dispelled and offers practical advice for improving overall health. Here's what you'll learn: - The most common nutrition mistakes women in midlife make and how to fix them - How to balance fat loss goals without tanking your hormones or energy - What “metabolic flexibility” really means and how to shift your body to burn more fat - How much protein women truly need for muscle, weight loss, and metabolism - How to distribute protein across the day for optimal recovery and results. - What “low carb” really means and if it has a place for women over 40 - Smart strategies to fuel workouts and recover faster - The key supplements that support hormone balance, energy, and metabolic health - The one nutrition myth she wishes every woman would let go of for good Connect with Tina Haupert: https://carrotsncake.com/ Facebook: Carrots 'N' Cake https://www.facebook.com/carrotsncake Instagram: @carrotsncake https://www.instagram.com/carrotsncake YouTube: Tina Haupert https://www.youtube.com/user/carrotsncake About Tina Haupert: Tina Haupert is the owner of Carrots ‘N' Cake as well as a Certified Nutrition Coach and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P). Tina and her team use functional testing and a personalized approach to nutrition to help women find balance within their diets while achieving their body composition goals. Connect with Mikki Williden, PhD: https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/about Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutrition/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikkiWilliden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikkiwilliden/ About Mikki Williden, PhD: Mikki Williden, PhD graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition, and a Bachelor of Physical Education from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. She attained her Masters in Science (Human Nutrition) with First Class Honours in 2003, focusing on the development of a childhood obesity prevention programme. As a registered nutritionist, She has been privately consulting with clients since 2006 and has worked with a vast number of people with different health and performance goals. In 2011, she obtained my PhD after completing her doctoral thesis in health and productivity in the New Zealand workforce. She hosts a twice-weekly podcast, Mikkipedia, which dives deep into the topics of nutrition, longevity, fitness, and health, and is the creator of Mondays Matter, a successful fat loss group programme that utilises evidence-based techniques to support body composition goals and has helped thousands of people. She is the Director of Nutrition for SFuels, an innovative sports nutrition company that advocates for right fuel, right time. She has worked with world-class athletes and some notable New Zealanders, helping them achieve their nutrition-related goals, including Nigel Latta (on The Sugar episode) and Simon Gault (on the documentary series Why are we Fat?). She is passionate about helping to translate science into practice to help people meet their health goals, and is a regular contributor to digital and media platforms, as well as having an active social media presence.

Otago-born Hamish McKenzie co-founded subscription publishing start-up Substack and is its Chief Writing Officer. 

A Dunedin community group's pipedream to forge a flat trail through the hilly city to Mosgiel is closer to becoming a reality. The first stage from farmland, through an 1800s Victorian gothic railway tunnel and into native bush is nearing completion after years of mahi. Today, the trail welcomed a $2 million boost from the government to help extend the trail to the suburbs of Fairfield, Abbotsford, and Green Island. Tourism reporter Tess Brunton has more

The Black Caps' T20 series against the West Indies has concluded in Dunedin today and an Otago fast bowler was one of the stars. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Last night, stargazers were treated to a spectacular show as the Southern Lights lit up the skies in the south. Thanks in part to Dr Daniel MacManus from the University of Otago, our infrastructure got through it unscathed.

Deepfake technology seems to be flooding online spaces and as AI-generated gets more sophisticated, the challenges will grow. Dr Yuki Watanabe from the University of Otago studies interdisciplinary perspectives to examine the profound impacts of deepfake technology. She says we should be proactively shaping the future of this technology with human-centered approach. Dr Watanabe speaks to Emile Donovan. 

Emile Donovan speaks to University of Otago consumer behaviour expert Professor Lisa McNeill.

Long Covid patients report being gaslit about their illness, and feel increasingly let down by the health system. 

McDonald's is back for a second bite in Wānaka, after its original plans for a restaurant were scuppered by super-sized opposition. The fast-food giant has picked a new site and while some locals see it as a more palatable offering, others are worried they won't get a say. Katie Todd reports. 

RWR MCDONALD chats to Craig Sisterson about his new novel THE NANCYS AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING NECKLACE, tone, child narrator in adult story, fictionalising a small town in Otago, New Zealand, living in Melbourne, teaching creative writing, Faber academy.THE NANCYS AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING NECKLACE: Meet the Nancys…Tippy Chan is eleven years old, and she lives in a small town in a very quiet part of New Zealand – the town her Uncle Pike escaped as a teenager, the moment he got a chance. Now Pike is back with his new boyfriend Devon to look after Tippy while her mum is on a Christmas cruise.Tippy can't get enough of her uncle's old Nancy Drew books. She wants to be Nancy and is desperate to solve a real mystery. So, when her teacher's body is found beside Riverstone's only traffic light, it looks like Tippy's moment has arrived. She and her minders form The Nancys, a secret detective club.But what starts as a bonding and sightseeing adventure quickly morphs into something far more dangerous. A wrongful arrest, a close call with the murderer, and an intervention from Tippy's mum all conspire against The Nancys. But regardless of their own safety, and despite the constant distraction of questionable fashion choices in the town that style forgot, The Nancys know only they can stop the killer from striking again. Whatever the cost…RWR MCDONALD (Rob) is an award-winning Kiwi author, living in Melbourne, Australia with his two daughters and one HarryCat. Author of the award-winning Nancys series, The Nancys and Nancy Business, Rob is also a creative writing tutor and host of QWS Podcast. Rob now writes picture books by day and whodunit mysteries by night — except all his characters seem to be completely out of control and pay no attention to him, or any rules.Recommend: Katherine Kovacic, Vanda Symon, JP Pomare - 17 Years Later (The Clearing & Watching You on Tv/streaming), Hayley Scrivenor Dirt Town, Lyn Yeowart The Hollow Girl.Craig Sisterson is a features writer and crime fiction expert from New Zealand who writes for newspapers and magazines in several countries. In recent years he's interviewed hundreds of crime writers and talked about the genre on national radio, top podcasts, and onstage at festivals on three continents. He's been a judge of the McIlvanney Prize and Ned Kelly Awards, and is founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards and co-founder of Rotorua Noir. He lives in London with his daughter. He is the author of  Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023 & 2024 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,

 What's the episode about? In this episode, hear Dr Jessica Young on assisteddying, the New Zealand End of Life Choice Bill, culturally responsive research, end of life care and decision making, and sociological approaches.Who is Jessica?Dr Jessica Young is a Senior Research Fellow at Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Auckland, and an adjunct senior lecturer in the Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology.She is a sociologist specialising in death, dying andassisted dying. She completed her PhD in 2020 at the University of Otago and received a prestigious post-doctoral fellowship from the Cancer Society of New Zealand.Since the End of Life Choice Bill was introduced in NewZealand, Dr Young has been building a programme of research to investigate multiple facets of assisted dying.  She leads and contributes to several projects on assisteddying, most recently ‘Exploring the early experiences of the assisted dying service in Aotearoa', funded by the Health Research Council. Dr Young has led impactful research in end-of-life care, securing over $3 million in competitive funding.  She is the founder and co-chair of New Zealand'sAssisted Dying Research Network and was appointed by the Director-General of Health to the Support and Consultation for End of Life in NZ (SCENZ) Group (2021–2023). Her work has directly shaped national policy: 13 of her team's recommendations were adopted in the Ministry of Health's 2024 End of Life Choice Act Review.She has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles, six editorials, and three book chapters.  To ensure her research goes beyond academia, she activelyengages with media. She is passionate about improving end-of-life experiences for patients, whānau/families and health practitioners. Committed to ethical, inclusive, and culturally responsive research, she seeks to involve tangatawhenua (indigenous people of NZ), stakeholders and communities. You can find Jessica on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-young-7097a722/ The book introduced in the episode introduction is Death, Commemoration, and Cultural Meaning Past and PresentEdited by Robert Spinelli and Robyn S. Lacy. How do I cite the episode in my research and reading lists?To cite this episode, you can use thefollowing citation: Young, J. (2025) Interview on The Death Studies Podcast hosted by Michael-Fox, B. and Visser, R. Published 1 November 2025. Available at: www.thedeathstudiespodcast.com, DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.30507878 What next?Check out more episodes or find out more about the hosts! Gota question? Get in touch.

Trees are one of the root causes of power outages, it is costing customers big time and the line companies want urgent law changes to deal with the problem. About 95 percent of the outages in Southland and Otago during last week's storm were caused by trees taking out lines. In 2024 alone, lines companies spent $67 million on tree management, a cost passed on to customers. The government is planning law changes, but the lines companies dont think it's going far enough, fast enough. Electricity Networks Aotearoa Chief Executive Tracey Kai spoke to Lisa Owen.

Lloyd Smith has been competing in dog trials since the 1970s and joins Emile Donovan from his farm near Palmerston in Otago

Thousands of people are still without power in Otago and southland after the region was hammered by last weeks high winds, and it could be days before the lights are back on. Reinforcements on the way to the region with more than 200 field staff expected to be on the ground by tomorrow. But on going bad weather is making repair work challenging. Powernet chief executive Paul Blue spoke to Lisa Owen.

At just 25, University of Otago medical student Josiah Bugden has managed to balance the demands of his final year of study with a rapidly expanding side project - CourseSpy - a platform helping students make smarter decisions about their tertiary studies Born out of his frustration with the lack of clarity around course selection and degree planning, Josiah set out to build the all-in-one tool he wished he'd had as a student. Josiah Bugden joins us from Peru - where he is on his medical placement.

Fresh attention on rural areas reeling from last week's severe weather. Southland, Clutha and Kaikoura are still under States of Emergency - and more than 8,000 properties in Southland and Otago are still without power. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to the Pick and Go Podcast! The NPC has wrapped up over the weekend, with the lads tucking into a full review. Canterbury have taken out the 2025 NPC championship over a very young Otago team, with players from both sides continuing to put their hands up for higher honors. International rugby is back, as New Zealand are set to take on Ireland in Chicago. With the teams not yet named, the fellas discuss who they would like to see getting a crack ahead of game one. As the NBA and NFL seasons have now both kicked off, the question of the week is: which All Black would make a good transition to the NFL or NBA? The fellas also touch on the other international fixtures this weekend as the Northern Tour is in full swing.

Nearly 8,000 properties in Southland and Otago remain without power this weekend - and the local lines company is warning residents it could last several days. 

On today's episode of The Agenda, Matt Heath and Finn Caddie join ACC Head G Lane to discuss a MASSIVE long weekend of sport (00:00)...WATCH THE FULL EPISODE ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE!Including the Black Caps smashing the English in the 1st ODI (02:40), Canterbury beating Otago in the NPC Final, the incredible mascot race, and ask the question, who the hell is Larry The Lamb (09:00)?Plus, Matt Heath delves deep into the Mexican F1 (21:50) and punishes everyone with some World Series chat (31:10)! Finally, they get to your feedback in 'Yours Please' (40:30)... GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE AGENDA & BYC LIVE PODCAST HERE! Did you know that we've launched a new Facebook Group called 'The Caravan' JOIN HERE!Brought to you by Export Ultra! Follow The ACC on Instagram or Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to The Agenda Podcast now on iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! iHeartRadio Apple Spotify YouTube THANKS MATE! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transpower on outages across Southland and Otago

The Southland and Clutha Districts are under local states of emergency with thousands of homes and services without power and some without water too. The Minister for Emergency Management made the declaration because it could cause problems with lifeline services. Powernet has been useing helicopters to survey the extent of the damaged lines in Southland and Otago. Emergency Controller Jonathan Shaw spoke to Lisa Owen.

The University of Otago had to postpone Thursday's exams due to weather making the campus unsafe. Vice Chancellor Grant Robertson spoke to Corin Dann.

On today's episode of The Agenda, James McOnie and Finn Caddie join ACC Head G Lane to discuss the damp and depressing result of cricket in October (00:00)...WATCH THE FULL EPISODE ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE!Then the fellas preview the NPC Final and why everyone outside of Canterbury wants Otago to win (03:20) and the truth behind All Blacks Assistant Coach Jason Holland's departure (14:30)...Plus, the White Ferns CWC campaign comes to an end (20:20) and what the hell is happening in the NBA involving dodgy poker games and illegal gambling (23:30)! Finally, they get to your feedback in 'Yours Please' (28:40)... GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE AGENDA & BYC LIVE PODCAST HERE! Did you know that we've launched a new Facebook Group called 'The Caravan' JOIN HERE!Brought to you by Export Ultra! Follow The ACC on Instagram or Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to The Agenda Podcast now on iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! iHeartRadio Apple Spotify YouTube THANKS MATE! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rugby's most bizarre rules explained! Top ref Ben O'Keeffe joins the ARP crew to give insight into weird and wonderful world of rugby rules, as well as life as a ref.Jip, Ben and Ross also break down the NPC semis and ask whether Otago or Canterbury will win the trophy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As desperate job seekers battle for work across the country, Queenstown and Wanaka are bucking the trend. Katie Todd reports.

Tess has the latest with the Otago councillor accused of financial misconduct, court action over protecting the hoiho, and Dunedin's new mayor.