Podcasts about Timaru

A serial killer who kept his victims' heads, a woman held under a waterbed for seven years, and a phantom passenger who vanishes from the back seat — the open road has taken more than its share.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/HitchhikingHorrorsREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/29xmnbkaFEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: The open road is a beautiful place where you can make friends that you'd otherwise never meet and have adventures that will change your life. But there are also extreme dangers to traveling with strangers on highways and backroads. No matter how trustworthy or well-intentioned a driver might seem, it's nearly impossible to tell if they are actually a predator or murderer, preying upon innocent hitchhikers. Creepy, true hitchhiker stories can make you think twice before picking up that stranger at the side of the road - or trying to "thumb it" yourself.LISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:“The Hitchhiker” original story at the beginning of this episode was written by HoneyBunny00:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8b53e2“Hitchhiking Horror Stories” by Isadora Teich for Ranker.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3yj8t3ka, by Jacob Shelton for Ranker.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2s4a2wkz, Eric Redding for ThoughtCatalog.com:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/hk8pn8rf, and from ScaryCarries.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2aead59t“Phantom Hitchhikers” posted at Anomalien.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y4dxkv7m, Kelly Agan for Medium.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/36wucpzm, Paul Adams for The History Press:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8z538u, and Krystal DeCosta for ScientificAmerican.com:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mr29nkpa(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: January, 2021Weird Darkness gathers the true horrors of the open road and the ghosts said to haunt it, moving from real hitchhiker murders across the United States and abroad to the phantom passengers who vanish from the back seat before the ride is over.It opens with the account of a newly married couple driving through a rainstorm who stop for a soaked hitchhiker, drop him at a crossroads, and later break down on a dark stretch of highway, only for the wife to wake to police floodlights and the sight of the same man atop their car with a machete over her husband's dismembered body, an escaped prison inmate cut down by gunfire moments after she runs.From there the show turns to a long run of documented and reported cases. Jacci Ansell-Lamb was last seen hitchhiking from London toward Manchester in May 1970 and found sexually assaulted and strangled with electrical wire outside Knutsford, England, a killing police have linked to serial murderer Peter Tobin though no suspect was ever charged. A German traveler on foot near Timaru, New Zealand had all his belongings stolen by a man in a white Honda in February 2016. Along Australia's outback near the cattle town of Hughenden, as many as twelve hitchhikers including eighteen-year-old Catherine Graham and thirty-two-year-old Tony Jones turned up dead over roughly two decades on a stretch dubbed the Highway of Death, the murders still unsolved. On May 19, 1977, twenty-year-old Colleen Stan was hitchhiking to a friend's birthday in California when Cameron Hooker picked her up and held her as a sex slave for seven years, keeping her in a box beneath his waterbed until his wife helped her escape in 1984 and Hooker drew a 104-year sentence.Next comes the case of Edmund Kemper, the six-foot-nine "Co-ed Killer" born December 18, 1948, who shot his grandmother and grandfather at fifteen, was released from a psychiatric hospital into his mother's care, and between May 1972 and February 1973 picked up hitchhiking female students, killed and decapitated them, and had sex with the corpses before murdering his mother with a claw hammer on Good Friday 1973 and phoning the same local police he drank with to confess. Woven among these are firsthand accounts shared online, among them a driver whose kindness reportedly talked a would-be killer out of his plan, a New Zealand couple who vanished in 1989 near Thames leading to the disputed conviction of David Tamihere, and a backpacker in Austria who fled a trucker's advances barefoot at a gas station.From there the episode moves deeper into unsolved and predatory cases. Between 1972 and 1973 the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders claimed at least seven women in Sonoma County, California, beginning with nineteen-year-old Kim Wendy Allen found bound and strangled in a creek bed on March 5, 1972, and including twelve-year-olds Maureen Sterling and Yvonne Weber, thirteen-year-old Lori Lee Kursa, fourteen-year-old Carolyn Davis, and twenty-three-year-old Theresa Walsh, the case never closed. The segment also gathers the crimes of clown-costumed killer John Wayne Gacy, trucker Keith Hunter Jesperson who dragged one victim beneath his rig, photographer Joseph Naso the "Alphabet Killer," the spree killers Douglas Gretzler and Willie Steelman, and sadistic trucker Ben Rhoades, caught when an Arizona trooper found a shackled woman inside his cab.The episode closes on the phantom hitchhiker, tracing the folk formula of the vanishing passenger before laying out the strongest real-world cases. One belongs to Maria Roux, killed on the N9 near Uniondale, South Africa on Good Friday 1968, whose specter was reported by driver Anton Le Grange in 1976 and motorcyclist Dawie Van Jaarsveld in 1978, her rear door seen opening and closing by a following officer. Another is "Lydia" of Jamestown, North Carolina, the white-gowned figure sighted at a railroad underpass since the 1920s and possibly rooted in the 1920 traffic death of Annie Jackson on the High Point Road. The final account belongs to carpet fitter Roy Fulton of Dunstable, England, who picked up a silent young man on Station Road near Stanbridge on October 12, 1979, turned to offer him a cigarette, and found the seat empty, a story he repeated without change on Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers in 1985.

A solar panel installer says Labour's new solar policy won't provide anywhere near enough money to get the level of solar investment the country needs. Timaru-based Solar Panel installer Terry Patterson spoke to John Campbell.

What makes a city liveable? The Economist Intelligence Unit, which is such a grand name, has released its latest list of the most liveable cities. There are 173. Three Australian cities are in the top 10 – Melbourne third, Sydney fourth, and Adelaide eighth. For all the bad press Melbourne gets for its crime, it's doing pretty jolly well to be there in the top three. Auckland came in at 12th place, down five – one of the biggest downward movers, along with the Gulf state cities. We all know why they lost their lustre, but we haven't got a war to blame that on, have we? Wellington is out of the top 20. How are they scored? Well, they're scored out of 100 across 30 quantitative and qualitative factors, categorised into five core metrics: stability, that's worth 25% that's the prevalence of crime, the threat of terror, and military and civil conflict. So of course, poor old Damascus, that kind of skews it for Damascus and Iran, places like that. Healthcare counts for 20% the availability and quality of private and public healthcare. Culture and environment is 25%, but it's much more than how many theatres there are, it's climate, corruption levels, social and religious restrictions, access to food, drink, and sport. Education is 10%, the quality and availability of both public and private education, and infrastructure is 20%, the quality of public transport, roads, energy and water provision, telecommunications, and housing. Now, the Economist Intelligence Unit doesn't just draw up its annual list to provoke debate and to get jingoistic city dwellers to go, “No, my city's better, no, mine is." Assessing liveability, they say, helps benchmark perceptions of development levels, as well as helping companies assign hardship allowances as part of expat relocation packages. If you're being transferred to Damascus, you can use this as evidence of applying for a hefty hardship allowance. Being transferred to Copenhagen, which came first, knocking Vienna off the top of the list, be hard to argue that's going to be a hardship. How would you rank the liveability of New Zealand cities? If you've lived in a couple of New Zealand cities, two or three or four, I'd love to hear how you would rank them. Christchurch surely would have to rank highly given the rebuild, given the availability of housing, given healthcare there, given the opening of the new stadium. And there's also that intangible qualitative factor, which is the vibe of a city rebuilding. Wellington, I could have easily made a case for the best city in New Zealand a few years ago, but that really needs to get its groove back. Back in the day with the public spaces that were available, the beautiful City Square, and the library, and the Pyrmont Bridge, and the vibrancy of the nightlife, and the coolness of the arts and culture scene, combined with the fact that it was a city that was easy to get around... I would argue the climate, I enjoyed the climate. For a long time I was able to quote the fact that the Basin Reserve was able to play more days of test cricket than Eden Park. Eden Park lost more days to rain than the Basin Reserve did. That was a stat I kept up my sleeve when I was living in Wellington. But boy, that has plummeted off, and I would put the blame fairly and squarely on the successive mayors in Wellington. I think I'd go back as far as Fran Wilde and Ian McKinnon as the deputy. Since then, it's just been a bloody nightmare for Wellingtonians. Auckland. I mean, it's a big sprawling city. It's a series of interconnected villages rather than really one big city, but it's starting to get its groove back. I noticed that yesterday when I was in downtown Auckland and I saw some gorgeous young people, well-dressed, striding down the street. The shops looked great, there weren't as many empty ones, there were the public spaces that weren't filled with people who looked like they needed professional help in making their way through the day. You know, it just looked like it was starting to get back to being a real city again. Hamilton's going to have to do something about Victoria Street before you could call that a world class liveable city. But when it comes to what makes a desirable city, the Economist has its criteria: stability, prevalence of crime, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. When it comes to the cities around New Zealand, how would you rate them? I'd probably put Christchurch first, then Auckland, maybe Tauranga although it's got its issues, I'm looking at the schools as well, Timaru, Hamilton, and Wellington's got some work to do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has announced changes to toy safety rules that it says will make it cheaper and easier to get toys onto shop shelves. Kaitlyn Millington from Kidstuff in Timaru spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Forget about rugby and pavlova there's a new battlefield in our great Trans-Tasman rivalry. The sausage roll. Timaru baker Simon Bruce has been picked to represent New Zealand against Australia's finest pastry purveyors. Battle commences tomorrow, but Simon joins Jesse from the Gold Coast where he's been sizing up the opposition. [picture id="4ML3VTU_copyright_image_246222" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

In part two, just how hard should it be to get your driver's licence? It can be a golden ticket to employment for young people, but it can also be a nightmare. One listener got in touch with a horror story about their son who is struggling to pass their restricted. Then, speed skating is thriving in Timaru. Kyla is a 15-year-old champion who is fundraising for two international championships later this year. The panel hears from her and her mum Helen who is the skating club secretary.

The Timaru Girls' High School has gone viral on social media after a powerful performance at a national singing competition. Meghan McNally, music teacher and choir director spoke to John Campbell.

Fisheries Minister denies impact of bottom trawling; Most charter schools exceed attendance and achievement targets; Waikato medical students to be placed in regions from 2029; Knitting campaign captures hearts of knitters across country; Timaru girls choir goes viral following Big Sing performance

In part two, apricot or biscotti? Those are two of the options Timaru councillors chose from for a paint job at the Theatre Royal. Then, you've heard of board game cafes, but how about a remote control cafe? A spot in Auckland's Mt Eden lets people send diggers around a sandpit as they sip their coffee.

Quite frankly, it's all getting a bit much. We're all tightening our belts, we're making decisions about where we're spending our money, what we're spending it on. The rates keep rising, insurance levies keep going up, the cost of everything is through the roof. And for many, many people, there's not a lot of disposable left at the end of the day. Even people who are earning pretty good salaries are suddenly finding there's not as much left at the end of the pay cycle as there used to be. Meanwhile, our House of Representatives are seeing the members gouging the taxpayer for every last cent they can get out of us. Louise Upston is claiming the full $1,000 a week ministerial housing allowance, which she's perfectly entitled to. It's designed to support MPs based outside Wellington with the cost of maintaining two homes. And you understand that. When you become a Member of Parliament, your business is in Wellington, but you might be representing the people of Timaru. You have a home there, a family there. So where are you going to live while you're in Wellington? Your employer should pay your expenses given you're required to be there. So the employer does. It offers an allowance to MPs who are not from Wellington to live there. That is us, the taxpayer. So, fair enough. But Louise Upston owns an apartment in Wellington and according to the register of financial interests, which all MPs have to fill out, there's no mortgage on it. Again, good for her. She's paid off the mortgage on that apartment and presumably her home. But what costs does she then have to claim? There are none. She owns the apartment outright. So she's claiming a cost she's legally entitled to, but should she be? She said at the time, it's an entitlement, I'm well within the rules, I can do it. Louise Upston's case unfortunately came just a week after she reduced the eligibility of homeowners to claim the accommodation supplement payment. She said we want to target support for the accommodation supplement to those who need it most. They are renters, they're not people who are using taxpayer support to increase their own asset. Hello! Are we looking in the mirror? She's not the only one, of course. Labour's Kieran McAnulty, Jan Tinetti, they have properties in Wellington, although they may still have a mortgage. New Zealand First's Andy Foster's doing it. He was the mayor of bloody Wellington and now he's claiming an accommodation allowance for a home in Wellington. Then we find the MPs in the parties, the different political parties, and again, all of them are doing it. Yeah, we wonder why they don't work together more often. Oh, they do, when it comes to their perks and allowances. We find the MPs in parties that own commercial property, which they rent to Parliamentary Service to operate as their own electorate offices. So they own the building, they say to Parliamentary Service, have we got a deal for you? We'll rent this and you pay for it because it's our electorate office. They defend this by saying the offices are rented at below market rates, and again, everybody does it. And then there's the superannuation. Chris Hipkins has defended using a generous taxpayer funded private super scheme to buy his family's holiday home by saying it's my money, I can do what I like with it. And it is, he can. But Heather du Plessis-Allan this morning interviewed Chris Hipkins, and I think outlined in an excellent manner just how it looks. HDPA: None of us are getting $60 to $70,000 popped into our superannuation funds every year by our employer, in your case the taxpayer, which we're then able to withdraw and buy a beach house with. This is the ruling class who has a different set of standards from everybody else. It's not right, is it? HIPKINS: The superannuation provisions that Members of Parliament get are generous superannuation provisions compared to what other members of the public get. I'll absolutely agree with that. HDPA: Do you need to change it? HIPKINS: Well, look, I think Members of Parliament are in a unique role. When people put their hands up to be Members of Parliament, in many cases they're basically leaving behind jobs that they cannot go back to. And we've just talked about an example of that now. When someone puts their hand up to be an MP, it closes off a lot of future potential job opportunities for them. So for many people when they put their hand up to be MPs, it will be the last job that they do. He was referring to Rakesh Naidoo, who is no longer working for Police now that he's put up his hand to be a Labour list MP. But we're told that the reason why backbenchers and MPs have diverged so far from other public servants like police, teachers, nurses – all of the salaries used to be around about the same in the 80s, MPs, police, nurses, teachers. Oh, it's very, very different now. We're told that the reason we're paying so much money is not because they can't get a job when they leave, but because they're so special and their talents are so unique that the private sector would snap them up in a heartbeat. And that is why we give them $177,600 for a backbencher, a learner MP, $320,600 for a Cabinet Minister, and $510,300 for a Prime Minister. Plus the expenses, the living accommodation, office expenses, travel allowances, plus the superannuation. With the superannuation, they get $2.50 for every dollar that the MPs put in from us. The contribution's capped at 20% of an ordinary MP's salary, which works out at $36,240 for every MP as of July 1st when the new rates kick in. So what's it to be? We can't do that. I mean, sure, if you're in a private super scheme of your own with different terms, you can take it out and do what you want with it. But dumb shmucks like you and me who are locked into KiwiSaver are limited to what we can do. We can't buy a second property with ours until we're 65, but hey. Are MPs of every colour and hue —apart perhaps from the Greens who seem to be able to maintain a shaky kind of moral high ground— just having a laugh? Everything is completely legal. Completely legal, but is it right? We're told we have to pay them that much to prevent the private sector from snapping them up. But really, where else would most of those people get that sort of money? Very few of them would and do once they leave Parliament – that's why they keep snuffling back to the trough, looking at Stuart Nash and Michael Wood. They tried it in the public, in the private sector, wasn't nearly as good as working as an MP, so back they come. We're told that they're such brilliant stellar talents that we have to pay them that much, but then Chris Hipkins says they can't get a job elsewhere. Yeah, they can. What they do is they use their political nous and contacts to set themselves up as lobbyists or working for companies as lobbyists in other parts of the world. Once a Minister leaves office, they can't just pop up as a lobbyist because they've got all kinds of insider knowledge – it's like insider trading. Not here. Kiri Allan started her consultancy business two weeks after resigning as Justice Minister and she was still an MP. So while they're doing this job that nobody really wants to do, they're getting paid very well to do it. They're getting good expenses to do it. They're getting a healthy superannuation fund that we are paying them we're paying for everything, but we're paying the super fund as well. Plus, they're building up knowledge and contacts, insider info that they can then sell, either as individuals setting themselves up as lobbyists or to companies that act as lobbyists. It's all legal, but is it right? We're funding all this. I mean, would you do the job? You've heard about the perks, you've heard about the expenses. You'd have to be prepared to be hated by at least half of the population and probably half of your caucus if you're hard working and you've got ambition. There'd be a few people who wouldn't like that. So I mean, you know what the gig is. It's a hard job. Is this what we have to pay for democracy to be sustained? It's legally right, but is it morally right to be claiming these sorts of expenses when you just don't need to? And at a time where you're wagging your finger at other people and telling them they need to tighten their belts and oh, we can't just be giving accommodation supplements away to everybody. They can't use it to build their asset. Yeah, but you can. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I had the joy of using State Highway 1, south of Christchurch, over the weekend. Which is a bit of a goat track. And it's why there is a bit of excitement about the government announcing that it wants to look into making it a four-lane highway. At least between Christchurch and Timaru. Which, to many people, is a no-brainer. This is part of a wider study the government wants done into transport links between the ports at Lyttelton and Timaru. As well as a better highway, replacing the bridge at Rakaia and the role rail plays in freight movement will also be looked at. Which is only happening because it's election year. So that, when the National, Act and NZ First leaders turn up during the campaign and people start asking them about State Highway 1, they can say they're doing this study and kick it to touch until the 2029 election. But a four-lane highway - at least between Christchurch and Ashburton - is something that's been talked about for years. Which I've always thought is a no-brainer. But - after driving down south and back up again at the weekend - I've been thinking, would it actually be worth it? Is it really a priority? And what other government funding we might miss out on? Not that we're like a pig in muck when it comes to road funding. In the most recent round of government funding for roads, just 6 percent went to the South Island. Which, as I said at the time, was nothing short of pitiful. I wasn't alone. Leeann Watson from Business Canterbury said, considering the South Island's contribution to the national economy, the amount we get back in road funding is definitely out of whack. In terms of the government's upcoming study also including the potential replacement of the bridge at Rakaia, we've had construction consultant Mike Blackburn saying that needs to happen. Sooner rather than later. Mike says it's urgent because of the number of people moving south, buying houses in places like Ashburton and commuting into Selwyn or even into Christchurch. And that's where I'm landing, too. I reckon we need to face up to the fact that we're never going to have four lanes on State Highway 1, south of Christchurch. And I think we need to focus our attention on getting something done about the bridges at places like Rakaia. Not that I no longer think a four-lane highway would be brilliant. And not that I no longer think we're being ripped off not having one. But the reality is, it will never happen. New bridges, though, are a much easier sell when it comes to government funding. Because if a bridge packs a sad, you're shot. Yes, there are always alternative routes. But, especially when it comes to freight movement, the bridges between Christchurch and Timaru are much more of an issue than the two-lane highway. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An old church. A near-$1 million budget. And a possible Airbnb conversion in Timaru.So… would Andrew actually invest in it?In this episode, Ed and Andrew walk through a real deal that Andrew looked at. They break down the renovation costs, Airbnb assumptions, and the harsh reality. You'll learn:How to analyse an unusual renovation project step-by-step Why heritage-style properties can become financial traps The biggest risk with complex renovationsMain idea? A property can look incredible and still be a bad investment. The best investors don't just fall in love with the story, they stay disciplined enough to walk away when the maths don't work.Book a meeting⁠ to start your path to financial freedom with a detailed financial plan for $0.For more from Opes Partners:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the weekly Private Property newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Timaru found itself on the front page of the Wall Street Journal last week, in a story about US doctors moving to work there. Keiller MacDuff reports from Timaru.

Marcus talks tech that should be better by now, pushing buttons, and honouring the greatness of Timaru. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Timaru cafe's phone has been ringing off the hook for the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, many of those on the other end of the call are seeking the local hospital, rather than a coffee. Rachel Graham reports on the Google Gemini AI mix-up.

The alarm's being raised on sextortion, and ways young people can get help. A Coroner's found an 18-year-old took his life hours after sharing intimate images with someone pretending to be a young Timaru woman. The scammer - who was later traced to Africa - demanded $5000 and threatened to share their conversation. Netsafe's Chief Online Safety Officer Sean Lyons says young people should ask parents or others for support. He says the last thing they should do is hide it. "Because it is that shame, it is that horror that's on many young people - and specifically, the young and their vulnerability." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Remember the terror of the driving test? Your heart in your mouth as you drove around the mean streets of Timaru or Ashburton, or in my case Tauranga, with a gimlet-eyed traffic cop watching your every move. The parallel parking, the hill starts. I only got my license because the cop took pity on me, I'd have lost my job if I didn't pass the test. But it's been 40 years now and I haven't had any major incidents in that time, fingers crossed. His faith was justified. Getting your driver's license is a rite of passage. But now Chris Bishop has announced a swathe of changes, the first to the testing regime since 2011 for drivers and for wannabe drivers, as he explained to Mike Hosking this morning. “Firstly, we know that younger drivers are more dangerous on the roads. We know that inexperienced drivers are more dangerous on the road. You add alcohol and drugs to that, it's a really toxic mix. So we've gone for a zero-alcohol rule for anyone on their learners and restricted. We've made sure that people under 25 spend longer on their learners as a default. They can lower that down by doing an approved driving training course, which again we know the evidence shows makes a difference. “And it's all about road experience, so that's why we've gone for a longer period of time at the front end in terms of spending time on your learners. But then at the other end, we don't think it makes a lot of sense to make people go and do a second practical test after they've been driving for a long period of time on their restricted and have got used to the road code and they've got that practical experience. We just didn't think it made sense to have people spend all the time and money to go and get a second test. Most countries don't do that, so we're bringing ourselves in line with that.” So, once you sit your practical on your restricted and get your restricted, no more second test. Longer time spent on the learner licenses for under 25s, so 12-month learner period, an increase of six months. You can reduce that learner period by six months if you record practice hours or complete an approved practical course. It'll be cheaper to get a full license, it will reduce by 80 bucks under the new system. If you get demerits, you'll face a further six months on your restricted. There'll be fewer eyesight screenings, so that will only be required at the first license application and at each renewal. Chris Bishop explained about the zero-alcohol rule, no learner or restricted driver will be able to have a drop of alcohol in their blood. And there'll be stronger oversight of the training providers. NZTA can suspend driver training course providers if they think there's something iffy going on. So some good changes, but as the Driver Training Association told Ryan Bridge this morning, it's a bit of a mixed bag. I'd have liked to have seen a few more changes, like resitting your license at 60 and then 80. Like those who hold overseas driver's licenses having to sit a full test on New Zealand roads. Our roads are markedly different to those of other countries, our driving conditions are markedly different, so I would like to see anyone who holds an overseas driver's license having to sit a driver's license here. Like having to resit your license or go to traffic school if you're pulled over for three driving offences in a certain timeframe. I think we should have been tougher. It's a privilege, not a right, to be on our roads. I do like some of the changes, but I really would have liked to have seen the government go further. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LIVE from Timaru, New Zealand. Bree had an accident at the airport. What did you get a tattoo to commemorate? Did Mumma Di watch Heated Rivalry?! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PGG Wrightson Livestock Manager based out of Timaru.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, I'm sharing the story of Rachel, a 90s kid from Timaru. Rachel is the youngest of four, with three brothers, and a ten year gap between her and her oldest brother, and they all grew up with a stay at home mum and a Dad who always took any and every job he could to provide for their family. Although Rachel just assumed that hers might be a standard life plan of go to school, complete some tertiary study at some point, get a full-time job and work your way up the career ladder, she has ended up veering off on a path entirely of her own making. Aged 32, she now works where and when she wants to and is not afraid to work full-time or not at all. She's created a financial cushion for herself, which is smaller than you might expect, but it's plenty enough for her. This is coupled with a large and supportive family and community, meaning she gets to go out and be herself, knowing she's never alone. I reckon that Rachel's story is one of resilience, adaptability, and crafting a life that balances work, faith, community, and financial independence on her own terms, and she is genuinely happy and content with where she has been and where she is yet to go.

Wellington is set to come alive this week in celebration of the creative spirit, showcasing wearable art from across the globe. Timaru finalist Steph Mcgrevy spoke to Corin Dann.

Residents at the flood prone Upper Selwyn Flat Huts learn their fate, possibly the most hit bridge in the country and Selwyn and Timaru's Local Water Done Well plans. Jonathan Leask is the Local Democracy Reporter with the Ashburton Guardian

We're heading down to Timaru, where the Timaru Booksellers are putting on their annual Word Salad open mic poetry night at the Aigantighe Art Gallery to mark National Poetry Day.

Australia has taken out the top title in this year's Trans-Tasman Best Tasting Tap Water competition, beating New Zealand's Timaru. Former judge in the competition Glenn Alford spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

In today's episode, the government has directed Sport NZ to scrap its guidelines for how to make community sport more inclusive for transgender people; A scathing review of Nelson Hospital has found the persistent delays in recruiting medical staff has been compounded by ageing infrastructure and increasing demand for service; A new government report warns the number homeless people in New Zealand has increased at a rate researchers believe is faster than population growth; The Wall Street Journal is running a story saying the US Justice Department told Donald Trump his name is among many in the Epstein Files; Australia has taken out the top title in this year's Trans-Tasman Best Tasting Tap Water competition, beating New Zealand's Timaru; Sam's Butchery, in the Auckland suburb of Silverdale, has officially claimed the crown for the country's best bacon.

A new falcon breeding programme will soon start up in Timaru. New Zealand Raptors Trust Chair Jenni Fraser spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Today on the show you'll hear Kurt Capewell from the Warriors, boxer David Nyika, and sexologist Morgan Penn. Plus Jerry's beef with Papa Roach, and we ask for your go to karaoke songs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Timaru's Seadown water supply has been crowned winner ofthe best tasting tap water in New Zealand. It was up against Waimakariri District Council, Rotorua Lakes Council, Waipa and Taupo District Council. They were awarded bragging rights from a panel of judges at the National Water Taste Test competition last night. Timaru Mayor Nigel Bowen talks to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the win. LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Timaru has taken out the title of New Zealand's Best Tasting Tap Water. Timaru's Mayor Nigel Bowen spoke to Paddy Gower.

Timaru District Council's Water Plant Manager John Clemens celebrates with Emile Donovan.

'Timaru Boutique' advertised a closing down sale on Facebook recently - saying that after 10 beautiful years it's closing its doors. But Timaru Boutique doesn't really exist. It has a Facebook page, and a legitimate looking website with dresses, shoes and tops all discounted for it's closing down sale. But there's no such store in Timaru, let alone one that's been open for a decade. When a woman from Ashburton turned up to Tim Black's boutique, Black & Co, desperate to try on an item she'd seen online, he smelled a rat. Black spoke to Lisa Owen. 

A bus service with a difference has been breaking records for patronage down in Timaru and it's now set to become a permanent feature of the city's transport system. MyWay by Metro the city's on demand public transport service, which was introduced as a trial back in 2020. It's been so successful its now here to say after recording more than 267,000 passenger trips in the last financial year.

Today on the show we go deep... maybe too deep... into South Canterbury. And find out all about Boobs of Timaru. *** You can see Josh Thomson at the NZ International Comedy Festival with Best Foods Mayo with his show "Old Mate" - 15 – 16 May at Te Auaha, Wellington and 21 – 24 May at Q Theatre, Auckland ***See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Formula One star Lando Norris has been feeling the love from New Zealand. The McLaren driver received a book compiled in his honour by students from a small Timaru primary school at the prompting of their F1-mad teacher Shannon Beatson. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Westland and Fiordland are under orange heavy rain warnings and Westland residents can expect up to 200mm of rain, Fiordland 130 millimeters. Meanwhile in Timaru, the mercury hit 33 degrees with Christchurch also sweltering on 31. Meanwhile parts of Australia are facing heatwaves with temperatures in the high thirties and warning of extreme bush fire risks. Lead meteorologist at Metservice Stephen Glassey spoke to Lisa Owen.

Sharyn Casey is one of New Zealand's best-known and most-loved broadcasters.A few months ago, she pulled the curtain down on a near 20-year career at The Edge radio station - and this is her first interview since stepping away.In this episode we talk about why she left and what's next, her best and worst moments on air, that time she dropped a c-bomb on live TV, teenage gangster Sharyn from Timaru, panic attacks while hosting Dancing with the Stars, Will Ferrell, Guy Williams, The Trainee Sexologist with Morgan Penn, and her journey to wellness through her Better Me (Hopefully) podcast.Sharyn is a blast and this was such a fun chat filled with laughs and depth. She is a bucketful of energy in the best possible way.If you'd like to get one of our epic guests in to MC or Speak at your function or event, flick us a message by going to B2Bspeakers.co.nz.This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!Between Two Beers is now part of the Acast Creator Network, listen wherever you get your podcasts from, or watch the video on YouTube.Enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How about a free coffee as relief from the grind of a long roadie? But be warned the brew is instant and terms and conditions apply. It's the brain child of the Nosh Roadside Gourmet on State Highway 1 between Timaru and Dunedin. There's a lot of water cooler chatter about the price of coffee taking its own trip, north. But cafe owner Vicki Haran is offering a little something for nothing, she spoke to Lisa Owen.

More links re. Pascal Denault:https://www.unherautdansle.net/https://www.amazon.com.au/Distinctiveness-Baptist-Covenant-Theology-Revised/dp/1599253666Link for info/to enrol for the IRBS-PQ class:https://www.zeffy.com/fr-CA/ticketing/f0af133f-da03-40f9-abf5-cd3bec404cd6Two-age Sojourner is hosted by Michael Beck, the pastor of Gracenet Community Church, Wellington, New Zealand (www.gracenet.co.nz).Each week (well, most weeks), Mike is joined on his pilgrimage by three co-hosts. Nick Clevely is the pastor of Covenant Grace Baptist Church in Timaru, New Zealand (www.covenantgracebaptist.church). André Beck (yes, he's Mike's brother) is pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in Felixstowe, UK (www.bethesdafelixstowe.com).Music on this podcast was written by Jeremy Casella and performed by Indelible Grace. You can listen to more from Indelible Grace and Jeremy Casella by searching on Spotify or Apple Music."  For more info, check out www.twoagesojourner.com.

It follows a 1000 water foul at Otago's Waikouaiti waste water treatment plant dying from the bacterial disease. Otago fish and game said the majority of the dead birds collected so far were paradise shelduck, a native species which traditionally used oxidation ponds at the treatment plant as a moulting site. MPI has ruled out bird flu. Now wildlife rescuers are dealing with a second suspected outbreak of avian botulism after dozens of dead and sick birds were retrieved from Timaru's Washdyke lagoon on Monday. Wildlife vet Brett Gartrell spoke to Lisa Owen.

High-profile closures of major employers this year, such as Timaru's meatworks and mills in Ohakune, have shown just how big an impact the loss of an employer can have on people living in our smaller areas and regions. But new analysis shows there are places all around the country that are relying on a handful of employers to provide the bulk of jobs. It means those workers are vulnerable if there are any big changes for those businesses. Money correspondent Susan Edmunds spoke to Susana Lei'ataua.

On the 4 of October 1926, late in the season, a horse was born in Timaru, New Zealand. The horse's arrival couldn't have been less interesting to almost everyone, except for an Australian trainer Harry Telford. Broke and perpetually down on his luck, Telford saw something in the horse's bloodline.  Yet even he, upon seeing the awkward, gangly horse thought he had made the biggest mistake of his life.  That horse's name was Phar Lap. Titus is touring the country. Tickets are on sale now. Sat 16 Nov: The Leadbeater, Melbourne https://theleadbeaterhotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/d7d3259b-2256-48b0-be2e-174d62dd917e Wed 20 Nov: Rosemount, Perth FIRST SHOW SOLD OUT SECOND SHOW ADDED https://rosemounthotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/63cc2642-6733-4511-9362-dff37fe6a685?Event=199073 Wed 27 Nov: The Triffid, Brisbane https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/titus-o-reily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/171148 Fri 29 Nov: The Comedy Store, Sydney https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138570 Sat 30 Nov: Fun Time Pony, Canberra FIRST SHOW SOLD OUT SECOND SHOW ADDED https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1285551 If you'd like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you'll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTube    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-age Sojourner is hosted by Michael Beck, the pastor of Gracenet Community Church, Wellington, New Zealand (www.gracenet.co.nz). Each week (well, most weeks), Mike is joined on his pilgrimage by three co-hosts. Nick Clevely is the pastor of Covenant Grace Baptist Church in Timaru, New Zealand (www.covenantgracebaptist.church). André Beck (yes, he’s Mike’s brother) is pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in Felixstowe, UK (www.bethesdafelixstowe.com). Music on this podcast was written by Jeremy Casella and performed by Indelible Grace. You can listen to more from Indelible Grace and Jeremy Casella by searching on Spotify or Apple Music." For more info, check out www.twoagesojourner.com.

Two-age Sojourner is hosted by Michael Beck, the pastor of Gracenet Community Church, Wellington, New Zealand (www.gracenet.co.nz).   Each week (well, most weeks), Mike is joined on his pilgrimage by three co-hosts.   Nick Clevely is the pastor of Covenant Grace Baptist Church in Timaru, New Zealand (www.covenantgracebaptist.church).   André Beck (yes, he’s Mike’s brother) is pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in Felixstowe, UK (www.bethesdafelixstowe.com).   Music on this podcast was written by Jeremy Casella and performed by Indelible Grace.   You can listen to more from Indelible Grace and Jeremy Casella by searching on Spotify or Apple Music."   For more info, check out www.twoagesojourner.com.

Register for the conference here: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/mandate-and-mission-tickets-923587614417?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl Two-age Sojourner is hosted by Michael Beck, the pastor of Gracenet Community Church, Wellington, New Zealand (www.gracenet.co.nz). Each week (well, most weeks), Mike is joined on his pilgrimage by three co-hosts. Nick Clevely is the pastor of Covenant Grace Baptist Church in Timaru, New Zealand (www.covenantgracebaptist.church). André Beck (yes, he's Mike's brother) is pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in Felixstowe, UK (www.bethesdafelixstowe.com). Music on this podcast was written by Jeremy Casella and performed by Indelible Grace. You can listen to more from Indelible Grace and Jeremy Casella by searching on Spotify or Apple Music." For more info, check out www.twoagesojourner.com.

Register for the conference here: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/mandate-and-mission-tickets-923587614417?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl Two-age Sojourner is hosted by Michael Beck, the pastor of Gracenet Community Church, Wellington, New Zealand (www.gracenet.co.nz). Each week (well, most weeks), Mike is joined on his pilgrimage by three co-hosts.  Nick Clevely is the pastor of Covenant Grace Baptist Church in Timaru, New Zealand (www.covenantgracebaptist.church).  André Beck (yes, he's Mike's brother) is pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in Felixstowe, UK (www.bethesdafelixstowe.com). Music on this podcast was written by Jeremy Casella and performed by Indelible Grace.  You can listen to more from Indelible Grace and Jeremy Casella by searching on Spotify or Apple Music."   For more info, check out www.twoagesojourner.com.

Register for the conference here - https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/mandate-and-mission-tickets-923587614417?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl The article being discussed can be found here: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/postmillennialism-a-biblical-critique/ Two-age Sojourner is hosted by Michael Beck, the pastor of Gracenet Community Church, Wellington, New Zealand (www.gracenet.co.nz). Each week (well, most weeks), Mike is joined on his pilgrimage by three co-hosts. Nick Clevely is the pastor of Covenant Grace Baptist Church in Timaru, New Zealand (www.covenantgracebaptist.church). André Beck (yes, he's Mike's brother), is pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in Felixstowe, UK (www.bethesdafelixstowe.com). Music on this podcast was written by Jeremy Casella and performed by Indelible Grace. You can listen to more from Indelible Grace and Jeremy Casella by searching on Spotify or Apple Music."   For more info, check out www.twoagesojourner.com.  Mike's new book "Covenant Lord and Cultic Boundary: Meredith Kline and the Reformed Two-Kingdom Project" can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Covenant-Lord-Cultic-Boundary-Two-Kingdom-ebook/dp/B0BV9KN5XT?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Two-age Sojourner is hosted by Michael Beck, the pastor of Gracenet Community Church, Wellington, New Zealand (www.gracenet.co.nz). Each week (well, most weeks), Mike is joined on his pilgrimage by three co-hosts. Nick Clevely is the pastor of Covenant Grace Baptist Church in Timaru, New Zealand (www.covenantgracebaptist.church). André Beck (yes, he's Mike's brother), is pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in Felixstowe, UK (www.bethesdafelixstowe.com). Music on this podcast was written by Jeremy Casella and performed by Indelible Grace. You can listen to more from Indelible Grace and Jeremy Casella by searching on Spotify or Apple Music."   For more info, check out www.twoagesojourner.com.  Mike's new book "Covenant Lord and Cultic Boundary: Meredith Kline and the Reformed Two-Kingdom Project" can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Covenant-Lord-Cultic-Boundary-Two-Kingdom-ebook/dp/B0BV9KN5XT?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Details and registration for the 2024 Two Age Sojourner Conference can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/mandate-and-mission-tickets-923587614417?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0PYECOSDq5PvGSMliPlYB_k7rN87AMxilITIhnoDYmRHPvbG9upKqZF6k_aem_NbDsJOffi3A5NARnbN9grg The book being discussed is available here (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Covenant-Lord-Cultic-Boundary-Two-Kingdom-ebook/dp/B0BV9KN5XT?ref_=ast_author_dp Two-age Sojourner is hosted by Michael Beck, the pastor of Gracenet Community Church, Wellington, New Zealand (www.gracenet.co.nz). Each week (well, most weeks), Mike is joined on his pilgrimage by three co-hosts.  Nick Clevely is the pastor of Covenant Grace Baptist Church in Timaru, New Zealand (www.covenantgracebaptist.church).  André Beck (yes, he's Mike's brother) is pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in Felixstowe, UK (www.bethesdafelixstowe.com). Music on this podcast was written by Jeremy Casella and performed by Indelible Grace.  You can listen to more from Indelible Grace and Jeremy Casella by searching on Spotify or Apple Music."   For more info, check out www.twoagesojourner.com.

Details and registration for the 2024 Two Age Sojourner Conference can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/mandate-and-mission-tickets-923587614417?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0PYECOSDq5PvGSMliPlYB_k7rN87AMxilITIhnoDYmRHPvbG9upKqZF6k_aem_NbDsJOffi3A5NARnbN9grg The book being discussed is available here (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Covenant-Lord-Cultic-Boundary-Two-Kingdom-ebook/dp/B0BV9KN5XT?ref_=ast_author_dp Two-age Sojourner is hosted by Michael Beck, the pastor of Gracenet Community Church, Wellington, New Zealand (www.gracenet.co.nz). Each week (well, most weeks), Mike is joined on his pilgrimage by three co-hosts.  Nick Clevely is the pastor of Covenant Grace Baptist Church in Timaru, New Zealand (www.covenantgracebaptist.church).  André Beck (yes, he's Mike's brother) is pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in Felixstowe, UK (www.bethesdafelixstowe.com). Music on this podcast was written by Jeremy Casella and performed by Indelible Grace.  You can listen to more from Indelible Grace and Jeremy Casella by searching on Spotify or Apple Music."   For more info, check out www.twoagesojourner.com.

In a quiet suburb of Timaru on New Zealand's South Island, a woman and her husband were watching television on the night of 16 September, 2021. As they were unwinding, a strange sound emanated from the garden next door. The woman went outside and peered through the fence, and could see somebody pacing up and down and sobbing.SPONSORS - ZocDoc: Zocdoc is the only free app that lets you find and book doctors who are patient reviewed, take your insurance & are available when you need them. To find a & book a top rated doctor today. Visit: https://zocdoc.com/morbidologyAudible: Are tou ready to dive into the gripping world of true crime with Audible? With their free trial, you have access to an extensive library of amazing audiobooks narrated by experts and podcasts. Start the free trial today at: https://amzn.to/47X20iDPrintful: If you've got the designs, they've got the solutions. Just upload your creations, and they take care of the printign, packing and shipping. To get started, head over to: https://www.printful.com/a/MORBIDOLOGYSHOW NOTES - https://morbidology.com/morbidology-the-podcast-242-liane-karla-maya-dickasonPATREON - https://www.patreon.com/morbidologyAudio Credit:Epidemic SoundEvening of Chaos - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Empty Reflections - ErikMMusic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgq4SPKHlyIA Mothers Sacrifice - OurMusicBox - https://ourmusicbox.com/Dark Tranquility - Anno Domini Beats - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6mBav72AkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/morbidology--3527306/support.