Podcasts about Waikato

Ray Jah45 aka Ray Nolan is a Maori reggae singer, selecta, surfer, skater, father, occasional MMA fighter and tradesmen from the Waikato region, in New Zealand, who now resides in Cronulla, South of Sydney. You can find him here and his band, Sub-Tribe here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2026 Zanda McDonald Award winner is a highly regarded agricultural entrepreneur. At 32, he is the founder and owner of Ohinewai Harvest Ltd and Dhaliwal Ag Ltd in the Waikato, recognised for building a diverse cropping and horticultural business from the ground up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the opening date for Auckland's long-awaited underground rail is yet to be announced, Hamilton's station below the street has been there for decades. Few Hamiltonians are even aware that inside the 344 metre tunnel beneath their feet is the country's first ever underground passenger train station. The station is now blocked off but there are fresh calls to see it re-opened. Waikato reporter Rachel Moore has more.

John and Debbie Moorby are large-scale Waikato dairy farmers and the proud parents of All Black Josh, who will make his starting debut at Eden Park tomorrow night against Ireland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TWL 2026: Ep 34 - Hohaia Ground feat. Lance HohaiaChampion utility Lance Hohaia beamed in from the USA to spend an hour and half with Will and Brad, recounting the fascinating ups and downs of his career that started in the Waikato, encompassed a decade and two grand finals with the Warriors, some glorious highs in a 28-Test Kiwis tenure, and finished with a stint and a Super League ring at St Helens.Behind-the-scenes yarns and insights aplenty - you'll love this one.Join us as a paid subscriber on Substack at https://www.thiswarriorslife.com/This is a Frank podcast

Residents of Waikato surfing mecca Raglan are concerned a lack of buses is making life tough for both residents and tourists.

Now, granted, it is a long weekend - and you have every right to put your feet up and relax - but if you're worried about becoming a winter couch potato, then this might be for you. The Winter 31 Club is a 31 day yoga challenge inspired by Matariki. Katie Deare is from the Sun Salute Yoga Centre in Hamilton to talk it over.

This week Country Life takes you stargazing at a farm near Lake Tekapo, goes behind the scenes of a wool auction in Napier and is with some belching cows being measured for methane emissions at a giant barn in Waikato. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:54 - Rural News Wrap8:50 - Inside the 'animal Hilton': Pamu's methane measurement barn15:08 - Wool for sale - inside a Kells Wool auction27:22 - Stars on the farm46:10 - Garden diaries: Beneath the starsWith thanks to:Diane Karaitiana Bryant, PāmuRichard Kells, Holly Tarrant, Jess Williams, Ken Tunnicliff, Kim Asquith and Alexa CookSam Blair and Steve BergeMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A giant barn in Waikato features 10 feeder bins for cows to graze from freely allowing their burps to be measured for methane emissions.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Diane Karaitiana Bryant, PāmuGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

New national guidelines are being developed for assessing and monitoring patients in emergency departments following the death of a man in the Waikato Hospital ED. Following a rapid review of the incident Health New Zealand says the death was an acute unexpected incident. Health NZ Executive National Director - Clinical, Dr Richard Sullivan spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Panel Plus An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Susana Lei'ataua. Then: have you ever wondered how popcorn came to be? Dr Garritt Van Dyk of the University of Waikato shares the history of the cinematic snack.

Just in time for Matariki its Powtearoa episode 59!In this episode Toffer and Trickey are joined by friend of the show, and recent tournament winner, Owen! The Sunday 7s happened. the second 7s event of 2026 (soon to be more) and Owen is here to tell us all about it. We also need to mention that Waikato has gone from 0 to hero over the last few years with a league, a 7s event, a made up ranking system that puts Bobsol at the top of everything, and now a new tournament on the horizon. Owen takes us through the rules-pack for Bully Bowl!We also make mention of the current standings in the 7s series and the final outcomes for Borderlands that happened recently in Auckland.Thanks to everyone for listening in. NZ Blood Bowl continues to punch well above its weight an things are getting bigger and better all the time!!If you are not already on discord, come and join us on the NZBB Discord server here - https://tinyurl.com/joinNZBBC and please visit the NZ Blood Bowl Community FB page here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/NZBBC/ If you are not already on discord, come and join us on the NZBB Discord server here - https://tinyurl.com/joinNZBBC and please visit the NZ Blood Bowl Community FB page here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/NZBBC/ Intro music adapted from Bensound.com. Cheers Bensound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan talks to Kathryn about a new pre-fab support ward for Waikato Hospital ED, and a councillor is under-fire after going ahead with footpath repairs to save money without proper sign off.

An outbreak of a highly contagious horse disease is spreading among thoroughbreds in the North Island , raising concerns about exports. Strangles is a serious bacterial infection for horses, ponies and donkeys that causes a fever and painful abscesses in the throat. The disease has been confirmed on a dozen stud farms - all but one are in Waikato and the horses have been isolated to prevent it spreading further. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing general manager of welfare Sam Fursdon joins Lisa Owen on Checkpoint.

If there's any good that comes from this awful case of the man dying while waiting for help in Waikato Hospital's emergency department, it's that at least it's getting a lot of media attention. I don't know if you recall but basically the same thing happened in 2021 at Middlemore Hospital. It was strange to me how little attention it received at the time, especially given everything else that was going wrong. There were people waiting for ambulances and dying in their doorways. That was happening a lot. There were reports of overcrowded EDs, understaffed hospitals and all sorts of other problems. Yet, for some reason, it barely attracted any attention and I could never really explain why. Perhaps, in retrospect, it was simply that it didn't fit the narrative. It was a Labour government at the time, Jacinda Ardern was Prime Minister and the government was pouring large amounts of money into a range of areas, including hospitals. So there was no easy explanation for why these things were happening. Now, of course, it's much easier to explain: National government, austerity, therefore not enough money. There's a logical connection there, whether you agree with it or not. While I'm horrified that this has happened, at least it is getting the attention it deserves because it was predictable — and it was predicted. The problem is simple: we do not have enough nurses and doctors in our hospitals. Go into a hospital and tell me that's not true. Don't worry about the numbers that get trotted out every time we talk about this. We hear, "Oh, we've hired heaps of doctors, we've hired heaps of nurses," and so on. Numbers can be misleading. You can say you've hired two new nurses but are those nurses fulltime or part-time? If they're fulltime, then you've gained two nurses. If they're part-time, you've effectively gained one fulltime equivalent nurse. This is the kind of thing I'm told is happening at the moment. Ignore the numbers and look at what's actually happening. Waikato ED wait times are so long that the waiting room is overcrowded and people are queueing out the door. Does that look like a fully staffed department to you? No, because it isn't. And the reason I want this to get attention is that an ED is one place none of us can avoid. Rich or poor, we're all likely to end up there at some point if we need emergency medical help. It has to work. If it doesn't work, then people's lives are at risk. And the more attention that's focused on the fact that it isn't working, the greater the chance that something is actually done to fix it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NRLW Warriors are kicking off their season this weekend, hosting the Bulldogs at Waikato's FMG Stadium. Harata Butler is a prop for the side, and joined Adam Cooper to preview the weekend's match. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Alia Bojilova is a registered psychologist with a focus on resilience. She grew up in Eastern Europe during some of the most tumultuous times in recent history before immigrating to New Zealand at age 17. During her service with the New Zealand Defense Force, she worked as the Lead Psychologist and an Officer with the SAS. While serving as a UN military observer in Syria, Alia and her team were taken hostage, and she negotiated the release of herself and her team. She holds a PhD from the University of Waikato and studied the link between curiosity and resilience in special operations forces. Since leaving the military, Alia has served as coach and advisor to leaders and teams around the world, and across a wide range of sectors, including government, venture capital, elite-level sports, corporate services, and creative industries.She's the author of The Resilience Toolkit, available on Amazon.More about Alia:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrina-alia-bojilova/Resilience Toolkit - https://amzn.to/4fa9DZHTimestamps:00:22  Introduction to Alia Bojilova01:21 Lead Psychologist for New Zealand SAS05:35 The Link Between Curiosity and Resilience07:51 Resilience in Special Operators12:38 Time of Service and Involvement in SAS14:51 What Does "Military Observer" Mean?17:04 Assessing for Curiosity in Training19:22 Curiosity's Distinction from Openness31:40 Common Signifiers of a Resilient, Curious Mindset35:40 Olympic Athletes and Special Operators37:13 The Phenomenal Gift of Being Taken Captive in Syria54:01 One or Two Books Everyone Should Read55:18 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received56:31 OutroSend us a message

Dairies have been named as the primary outlet for an illegal tobacco ring, now busted. The Illicit Tobacco Action Group has run a six-month op - seizing more than 1.3 million cigarettes, $170,000 in cash, and arresting five across Rotorua, Waikato and Auckland. Officers conducted 21 searches at eight outlets and six homes across Rotorua, Waikato and Auckland. Customs' Terry Brown says they caught a mix of retail outlets, distributors and storage areas. "We remain very hopeful that evidence, particularly forensic evidence, will give us a steer towards the import supply chain." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Associate Health Minister says cost is not longer a deterrent for smoking as she considers a review of the tobacco excise tax. Earlier this week authorities seized more than a 1.3 million cigarettes and made five arrests across Rotorua, Waikato, and Auckland. It estimates illicit tobacco accounts for 50% of the Australian market. Minister Casey Costello told Ryan Bridge New Zealand must be wary to not repeat mistakes across the ditch. She says Australia had excise tax much higher than ours, while also making it difficult to acquire safer alternatives. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, I was talking about the amount of aid we're sending to places like Vietnam and Indonesia. Places I would venture to suggest that are showing more go ahead, more investment in infrastructure than we are. When you're looking at Vietnam, they're building one of the largest stadiums in the world, they've got fast rail underway, they're building a huge city to house much of its population – they're spending billions. It's also a place where New Zealanders travel to get first class healthcare that we can't access here. Now we've asked Winston Peters why we're sending money to Vietnam and Indonesia. He, or his people, referred us to MFAT. MFAT says they need time to tell us why Vietnam is in need of New Zealand money – we're waiting to hear back from them. They have been asked this before. Why are we sending money to places that don't really need it? It's the equivalent of donating to a Givealittle page for your neighbour to find out that they're building a swimming pool, but you can't afford to. I was asking this question yesterday, this morning there are two stories about the parlous state of two of New Zealand's hospitals. Could be any of the hospitals, but in this case it's Middlemore, the ageing maternity block, and Hutt Hospital. And staff are complaining about the multiple leaks and electrical faults and mould and water on the window as a result of the heavy rain – the buildings can't cope with it. And they accept that every now and then, at times of heavy rain, there will be the odd leak, but they say throughout winter this is what they and the patients have to put up with. Both of the hospital directors at Middlemore and Hutt Hospital say patient health was not compromised, services continued as usual, they're just leaks people, nothing to see here. But staff say they're fed up with working under sodden and collapsing roof panels, damp conditions and electrical issues. It might just be a leak on that one particular day and as a patient at the hospital you're only there for three days – the nurses, the doctors, the staff are working there all day every day and throughout winter they say it's miserable. There's a programme of works for our hospitals around the country, a 10 year plan, but the need is so great it's hard to know where to start. The average age of our public health estate —1,274 buildings across 86 campuses— is around 47 years. That's the average age, some will be much, much older, and the new ones, the brand new spanking new facilities, will drag that average up. The population is growing and ageing and demand for mental health services is growing. The pressure on government budgets and on the health staff trying to deliver services in decrepit infrastructure is immense. There is a 10 year programme of works, but Middlemore maternity hospital and Hutt Hospital don't feature as far as I can see on the plan. You've got Whangārei Hospital – and it's all built into stage one, two, three, and four. Waitākere, and God knows, despite the fact that wasn't in the news, according to locals, that needs a revamp. You've got Middlemore, but they're looking at targeted ED upgrades, and then stage two will be planning a new site. Stage three will be a new site or Middlemore expansion. Nothing about the maternities. Waikato, Tauranga, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, God knows that needs a revamp. Palmerston North, Wellington and Nelson. So nothing there for Middlemore or Hutt Hospital, so I guess they'll have to keep going to the paper. And if the average age is around 47 years, the need will be great. I don't know how they prioritise which hospitals get it first. Then you look at the last financial year, 24/25 New Zealand spent $943.81 million in foreign aid across 624 activities. I get that we want to be good global citizens and I get that we are wealthy compared to other nations and I'm not saying stop all aid, but come on. When household budgets tighten, you have to give less. There isn't that much money to go around, otherwise you are depriving your own family. And this is the case here on a macro scale. How can we justify donations to Vietnam, which is just thriving, and Indonesia? How can $943.81 million in foreign aid be justified when we have leaky ageing hospitals, some schools need to be completely and utterly revamped, and some of the police stations are just appalling. A lot of the public buildings in which our public servants work are just not suitable and not fit for people to be there. How can we justify that level of aid when New Zealand citizens are travelling to the very country that we're giving aid to for their medical and dental care? Do foreign aid officials realise how weird that looks? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We chat with a Waikato dairy farmer who claimed the Emerging Leader Award for her roles with Young Farmers and Federated Farmers. She discusses he hopes for the future of the dairy industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's not much Waikato dairy farmer Jim van der Poel hasn't been involved with in the past 40 years. 

Kenzi Jordon's already got NCEA level 3 and University Entrance. She has mainly been taught at home after finding school boring. Now, she's hoping to be accepted to the University of Waikato to study mechatronics. Kenzi spoke to Lisa Owen.

Waikato rubbish crews are increasingly facing aggressive and abusive behaviour. The council has now launched a social media campaign encouraging culprits to dump the attitude. Acting Zero Harm Manager for Waikato District Council, Joanne McArthur spoke to Lisa Owen.

A year after direct flights from Hamilton to Australia started, the region is reaping the benefits. Hamilton and Waikato Tourism general manager Nicola Greenwell spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Today on the radio show. Jay and Dunc broadcast live from Field Days at Mystery Creek in the heart of the Waikato. They have interviews galore and catch up with some of the heartiest people that New Zealand's rural sector has to offer. Enjoy.

A proposed new hotel set on the banks of the Waikato River could be Hamilton's first skyscraper standing at 25 storeys high. Kiwi high-rise developer Templeton Group presented the preliminary design for the Victoria Street Tower to Hamilton City Council on Thursday. Hamilton Mayor Tim Macindoe told Andrew Dickens he is 'fully on board' with the development. "There are all sorts of wonderful things happening in our city, and we need these beds and we need a, a top-quality hotel and I think this is really going to deliver in a spectacular way." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Students from the new Waikato medical school will have placements in five regions around the country from 2029. Dr Nathalie de Vries, Chief Medical Officer at Whanganui Hospital spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Raw sewage, dead animals, life-threatening logs are just some of the obstacles athletes worry about facing if they have to get into the water for their sport. New research from Waikato University has found climate change and the impact of extreme weather events have had a huge impact on getting young people into surfing, kayaking and waka ama. Joining us to talk about the concept of 'polluted sport' is the University of Waikato's Holly Thorpe

Business Editor Corin Dann spoke to John Campbell from Fieldays at Waikato's Mystery Creek.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast with Heather du Plessis-Allan for Wednesday the 9th of June, we hear from an expert why the Government's proposed LNG terminal shouldn't go ahead. We go to Waikato to celebrate the opening of Fieldays for 2026. Heather dives into the changing perceptions New Zealanders have towards Asia. And on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen go toe-to-toe over the appointment of Rakesh Naidoo to the Labour list. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rural economy is awash with good news on the revenue front. Consumer spending figures from Cuscal Paymark, show consumer spending reached 3.8 billion dollars in May, that's up 1.2 percent, year on year. But in Waikato, the increase was 4.6 percent, 280 percent above the national average. Don Good, chief executive of the Waikato Chamber of Commerce spoke to John Campbell.

Winter sports are well under way, which means stories about poor sideline behaviour are back in the headlines. Things got so bad in Waikato a few weeks ago that all junior rugby league matches were cancelled. Sport Waikato says not only is the behaviour inappropriate, but it can actually have a detrimental effect on a kid's enthusiasm for sport. Sport Waikato CEO Matthew Cooper is with me now.

Te Huia train fares are rising 25% as passenger numbers surge. Waikato Regional Council's voted to lift the $24.06 one-way fare for the trip between Hamilton and Auckland to $32.50. Patronage in recent months rose 52% on last year, with fewer track disruptions and more reliability. But Waikato Regional Council Chair Warren Maher told Heather du Plessis-Allan that's not why they're putting the price up. He says the government is currently supporting it by 60%, but if it becomes a permanent service that will drop to 51% and as a user-pays service, it needs to reflect the cost users are actually paying for it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's episode comes with a small technical disclaimer: we absolutely butchered the video file, so due to corrupted footage, this one is mostly audio-only with a few tiny video scraps sprinkled in. Apologies — although, to be fair, we've never looked better.But fear not, because the rugby chat survives.After the usual world-class nonsense, we dive into the URC, where the semi-finalists are locked in and rugby fans in New Zealand are, of course, absolutely buzzing with excitement. No irony there whatsoever. In all seriousness, though, the final four should make for some cracking clashes, and we break down what's coming.Then it's over to the final round of Super Rugby, where the Blues continued their late-season collapse by getting absolutely pumped by the Mooloo men of Waikato. Moana Pasifika delivered the feel-good story of the week, grabbing a win in what may sadly be their final game in existence. Meanwhile, the Crusaders — being the absolute bastards they are — appear to be coming right at exactly the right time.And who gets to face them next week in Christchurch, at their shiny new stadium? The Auckland Blues, currently riding a four-game losing streak. Lovely.Even better, thanks to the bizarre “lucky loser” setup, the Blues might still sneak through even if they lose. Because apparently even finals rugby doesn't need actual jeopardy anymore.We also touch on the Force, Waratahs, Highlanders, and look ahead to a weekend of knockout rugby, jump flights, jump sticks, and all the usual nonsense.Grab a beer and enjoy.

There's relief the Waikato Expressway extensions can finally proceed, with $1.7 billion allocated in Budget 2026. The 16-kilometre stretch will reach the intersection of State Highways One, and 29 at Piarere. Waipā mayor Mike Pettit says it's exciting news. "It helps with New Zealand GDP, but it definitely helps with Waipā - but more importantly, Waikato GDP. If you can move freight in a more efficient way, it sort of saves costs right through to the consumer." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bathurst Resources has paused its plans for a fast-tracked mine expansion near Huntly in the Waikato because it doesn't know if it can sell the coal. Climate change correspondent Kate Newton.

All Waikato junior league rugby games have been cancelled after fights and abuse from adults on the sidelines. The Waikato Junior League Rugby Board said it would continue working with clubs to address the issues and ensure appropriate standards are upheld. Sport Waikato CEO Matthew Cooper joined Mike Hosking to chat about the issues, calling the behaviour 'disgraceful'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday the 22nd of May, is today finally the day we get a deal on Iran, plus raucous sideline sport parents have caused cancellations across the board in Waikato. The PM is in ahead of the Budget while also talking about Labour's leaked attack strategy. Jason Pine and Andrew Saville talk the Auckland FC Championship win, Indycar and F1, the Warriors, surfing and some of the better Super Rugby of the season on the weekend. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A controversial waste-to-energy plant at Te Awamutu, the successful Raglan international surf competition, disputes at South Waikato District council and the Waikato Winery that has won gold.

The University of Waikato is facing opposition to its new medical school. Dr Grant Morris looks back in history to see if we are seeing a repeat of the challenges faced by the University of Waikato's law school in the early 1990s.

This week we're heading to the Waitomo District, located in the south-western part of the Waikato region in the North Island, from where Mayor John Robertson joins Jesse.

Surf's up in the small Waikato town of Raglan, as it hosts the World Surf League, and locals are just as excited for what it means for the town. Finn Blackwell reports.

To honor ICOM's 80th anniversary and the 2026 International Museum Day, Girl Museum's Head Girl Ashley E Remer speaks with Aotearoa New Zealand museum leader Liz Cotton about this year's theme-- 'Museums Uniting a Divided World'. Join us for a great conversation about our work in museums and how we approach the aspirations of IMD themes.Bio: Elizabeth (Liz) Cotton is an experienced museum and gallery sector leader based in Auckland with over 25 years of experience fostering community relationships and enhancing visitor experiences in cultural institutions. She has held senior roles including Director of Museum Experience at MOTAT and Director Museum & Arts at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato, where she led significant visitor experience transformations and team development. She prioritizes building strong relationships with mana whenua, iwi, councils, and funders, integrating Te Tiriti principles throughout her work.Check out the Museum of Technology and Transport (MOTAT).And ICOM NZ.

For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about the need for council to be involved in discussions about the details of an additional harbour crossing, and the number of job losses in the Auckland Transport restructure.  And they spoke to Māni Dunlop from Te Ao Māori News for our new bi-weekly catch-up on the political issues of the week from a Māori perspective. News Director Castor spoke to kaumatua and climate activist Mike Smith about his court case against Fonterra in the wake of the government removing its legal basis. They also spoke to Professor of Law at the University of Waikato, Alexander Gillespie, about the legal ramifications of such a decision.  For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke with Shanan Halbert about the Government disestablishing the BSA and scrapping the tertiary Fees Free scheme, as well as the Government's new citizenship test. She also spoke with Associate Professor Alice Mills about why secure housing is central to reintegration for those leaving prison.

A new, simple and very local initiative is increasing primary school attendance across dozens of schools in Waikato and Canterbury. Ngaruawahia Primary School deputy principal Margaret Gillies.

The Waikato Rugby CEO has written an open letter urging adults to do better, warning toxic behaviour risks driving young people, and volunteers, away from sport altogether. Amy Marfell spoke to John Campbell.

Excitement is building in the coastal Waikato township of Raglan on the eve of the fourth stop of the World Surf League. Heemi Ngahere, is President of the Maori Board Riders club and spoke to John Campbell.

A YouTube channel is providing some income cream for a fourth generation waikato dairy farmer filming life on the land. Andrew Macky, who runs a 98 hectare family farm at Paterangi with 320 jersey cows, started filming and broadcasting his day to day in 2020. Now, more than 35,000 people subscribe to "The Once A Day Farmer." Waikato dairy farmer Andrew Macky spoke to Lisa Owen.