Podcasts about Wellington

Four relatives gathered for a quiet family lunch—but within days, three were dead and one was fighting for his life. At the center of it all was a homemade beef Wellington, a lethal dose of death cap mushrooms, and a host who walked away untouched. What followed was a trail of hidden evidence, shifting stories, and one of Australia's most shocking murder trials. Huge thanks to our sponsors for making this episode possible: Acorns: Sign up now and Acorns will boost your new account with a $5 bonus investment. Head to⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠acorns.com/crimehub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or download the Acorns app to get started. Shopify: You don't need anyone's approval to make a living. Build your own business with a free trial at shopify.com/crimehub Whatnot: Download ⁠Whatnot⁠ in the app store today and get free shipping on your first order. Writer: Samantha Davis * * * CONTENT DISCLAIMER: This episode contains explicit content intended for mature audiences. Parental guidance is advised for children under the age of 18. Listen at your own discretion. #truecrime #truecrimestories #truecrimepodcast #crimehub Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week for Music Time, Nick Mills is joined by music guru James Irwin in the studio to chat new music from the Rolling Stones, U2 and Madonna. Are they making a comeback - or in one case losing both new and old audiences? Also to celebrate the anniversary of the moon landing yesterday they reminence on the best moon songs. Plus, all the latest gigs to look forward to in Wellington. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's not enough emphasis on quitting vapes and they should only be supplied through pharmacies or cessation programmes, according to a leading researcher in tobacco and nicotine control. Checkpoint has been looking at the issue this week after Wellington's main stop smoking service quit after refusing to supply vapes as part of the programme. Otago University Professor Janet Hoek spoke to Lisa Owen.

Send Us A Message! Let us know what you think.Is the Reserve Bank's latest interest rate hike a sudden shock to the system, or is it actually the clearest sign yet that the economic fog is finally lifting? In this episode of the Week in Review, Debbie Roberts from Property Apprentice breaks down the wave of fresh real estate data for the week ending Friday, 10th of July, 2026. While the mainstream media headlines are busy dancing in panic over the central bank's shift to 2.5%, the underlying economic metrics tell a completely different story—revealing massive silver linings for both property buyers and landlords who look at the numbers with total discipline. The Five Core Topics Discussed:Topic 1: The Consensus OCR Reduction in Stimulus – Breaking down the RBNZ's unexpected decision to raise the Official Cash Rate by 25 basis points to 2.5%, why peak inflation has officially been slashed, and why interest rates may come down faster than bank economists previously projected. Topic 2: The Widening Regional Market Fracture – A deep dive into the latest QV House Price Index showing national values dropping slightly by 0.4%, while the market splits along strict regional lines with Christchurch outperforming Auckland and Wellington. Topic 3: Why "Risky" Properties are Outperforming the Broader Market – Analyzing the bombshell Cotality report revealing that flood-susceptible homes have gained 26.1% in value since 2020—outgrowing unaffected zones as cost-conscious buyers hunt out $100,000 upfront discounts. Topic 4: The Auckland Rental Market Winter Reset – Looking past the headline shock of an 10.9% drop in rental enquiries to reveal why tenant demand remains fundamentally strong year-on-year, and how available stock listings have expanded buyer selection by 10.9%. Topic 5: The Pervasive Fall of Household Interest Costs – Unpacking the latest Westpac household finances chart pack proving that household interest spending has successfully declined for a fifth consecutive quarter, heavily supported by a 3.8% climb in disposable incomes. 

Follow the evidence, and the evidence shows that vaping helps people quit smoking. That from ASH, in reponse to a Wellington's main stop smoking service quitting, because it refuses to give out vapes. Takiri Mai Te Ata Trust parted ways with Health New Zealand after the refusal and will no longer get funding. ASH Director Ben Youdan spoke to Lisa Owen.

Bird lovers near ground zero, where the first detected case of H5N1 bird flu landed on our shores, are steeling themselves for a busy period protecting wildlife. The flu strain has been confirmed in a sick sea bird found on Wellington's Petone Beach late last week. Now, a charity bird hospital nearby is setting up quarantine facilities to treat sick native birds if a flu outbreak takes hold. Sammy Carter reports.

After years of warnings, H5N1 bird flu has arrived in New Zealand, with the virus confirmed in a seabird on a Wellington beach. Professor Jemma Geoghegan, an evolutionary biologist and virologist at Otago University spoke to John Campbell.

An RNZ story caught our eye this morning discussing the number of vacant Kainga Ora houses in Wellington. An apparent stall in redevelopment is the reason for these properties staying empty. But it got us thinking about the wider issue of so called 'ghost housing' - houses which appear to be left empty for sometimes years. We want to know how much of a problem is it ... And is there a case for following the likes of Vancouver who have introduced an 'empty house' tax. Gareth Kiernan is Chief Forecaster and Director at Infometrics - he chats to Emile.

For most of us, "hobby crisis" means nothing more than a pile of unpainted miniatures. For David in Wellington, it meant a catastrophic flood that devastated his neighbourhood and wrecked his collection. On this episode, David walks us through what happened, and how he's slowly starting to regroup and rebuild. This Episode is Supported ByThe Sharp End of the BrushSupport the Show on Patreon

More cases of bird flu seem inevitable here, according to some experts. Our first infection with the globally spreading H5N1 strain has been confirmed in a migratory brown skua, found on Wellington's Petone Beach last Friday. Auckland University Professor Dianne Brunton says it's not even clear if our next likely case will be linked. "New Zealand is kind of in the middle of nowhere, of course, but we are surrounded by seabirds - we're the seabird capital of the world." MPI is asking people to stay vigilant and report any groups of sick or dead wild birds. The illness is a low risk to humans, and our poultry and eggs are safe to eat. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington has become a city of gold-plated report writing, and very little action With a new tunnel at the bottom of the priority list, cancellation of the main street's beautification programme, and costly reports seeking answers, Wellington's not movingFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Wellington's main stop smoking service is quitting because it says it won't promote vaping as an alternative to keep its government funding. Takiri Mai Te Ata Trust says after more than 30 years helping people become smoke free, it's impossible to keep delivering services in a way that aligns with its tikanga, values and responsibilities to its community. Health NZ and the trust have now parted ways. Regional manager for the trust's stop smoking service, Catherine Manning spoke to Lisa Owen. 

New Zealand has confirmed its first detection of the highly pathogenic H5 bird flu strain, after a migratory seabird was found on a beach in Wellington. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said there is no evidence of transmission between wild birds, or mass mortality in wildlife.

Officials are on high alert after the first case of H5 bird flu was confirmed in New Zealand yesterday, after being detected in a sea bird found on Petone Beach in Wellington. MPI's chief veterinary officer Mary van Andel has been at the forefront of the response and spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Residents in a Wellington suburb are pushing for answers over deserted blocks of state houses where some units have been vacant for six years. Kainga Ora had plans for nearly 90 new homes in Strathmore. Neighbours describe one desolate cul-de-sac as a demoralising waste of prime land, but Kainga Ora says work is going on behind the scenes. Ellen O'Dwyer reports.

The Government says a $35 million boost to forensic mental health services will ease pressure on an already stretched system and improve safety for staff, patients and communities. Among the new services, two new forensic mental health beds will be added Auckland and Wellington, while specialist staff will be hired for in-prison services as well as more court liaison staff. The announcement comes as the police continue their withdrawal from mental health related call outs. Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Preparations to protect our native wildlife against bird flu are said to be well in hand. A seabird found on Wellington's Petone Beach last week tested positive for the H5N1 strain. There's no evidence of widespread transmission, but it's considered inevitable New Zealand will have to learn to live with it. New Zealand's one of the last countries the disease has reached. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard told Mike Hosking officials have been building protections, as it could be here to stay if it doesn't die out. He says DOC has been vaccinating some critical breeding populations so if they were hit, they should stay safe. Hoggard says the key response for most Kiwis is reporting when they see dead birds, as it helps them build a picture of where the disease is. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 15 July, 2026, we talk to Poultry Industry Association executive director Fiona MacMillan about how well we're prepared for the first case of bird flu. Wellington deputy mayor Ben McNulty explains what punishment he wants for councillors who behave badly. We hear why a treatment centre's now been set up to deal with cellphone and screen addiction. And on The Huddle, we ask Tim Wilson and Mike Munro if ACT's new candidate, Paul Henry, will be a problem for Christopher Luxon. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All right - given the level of hostility we have at the moment towards local body councillors and councils, I suspect there'll be plenty of support for the idea I'm about to tell you about. But I would caution against getting too excited because it's a terrible idea. If you've been following councils around the country lately, you'll be aware of Benedict Ong from the Dunedin City Council and Ray Chung from the Wellington City Council. Both are making nuisances of themselves, which is why they're in the news. Benedict, for repeatedly receiving council emails and then immediately forwarding them to multiple journalists and leaking the information; and Ray Chung, for getting himself to the scene of a missing person during a flooding event in Wellington when he shouldn't have been there, and then telling porkies, or what looked a lot like porkies afterwards, about why he was there. Now, Ben McNulty, the Wellington Deputy Mayor, is so frustrated by this nonsense that he's proposing tougher sanctions for councillors like this to deal with what he calls "almost existential threats to democracy" caused by councillors leaking sensitive information. Ben hasn't said specifically what powers he wants but whatever it is he's proposing, I don't like it. Because while I have no love for the antics of Benedict Ong, Ray Chung or anybody like that, I respect the fact that both of them were democratically elected. They are just as entitled to council information and council access as the most well-behaved councillors. And if we start dreaming up ways to punish wayward councillors we don't like, we may find those very same rules being used against good councillors we do like if the wayward ones gain a majority. Whatever punishment we concoct is a punishment that can be weaponised against enemies. There is already a perfectly good punishment for councillors who misbehave and push things too far. It is the loss of office at the next election. Democracy already has a built-in punishment. We do not need another one. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute and former Labour Chief of Staff Mike Munro joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Wellington deputy mayor Ben McNulty is calling for tougher regulations on misbehaving councillors, including docking pay, banning people from meetings - or even recall elections. Do we think these changes are needed, or is this anti-democratic? We got our first case of bird flu in New Zealand today - should we be worried? What could this mean for our poultry sector? Paul Henry recently gave an interview about why Prime Minister Chris Luxon isn't clicking with voters after he announced his bid to run for ACT. Does he have a point here? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Home owners are being warned their insurance claims could be declined if their local councils deem their properties to be at risk of natural hazards. According to Land Information New Zealand, 25,614 properties have natural hazard risks flagged on their titles. That means 25,614 properties may be at least partially uninsurable. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's deputy mayor is floating a law change to give councils more teeth for dealing with badly behaved representatives. Ben McNulty's highlighted Dunedin City Council's stand off with suspended councillor Benedict Ong, who's being investigated over allegations he shared confidential information. McNulty says some things done within councils would get people booted from the private sector. He says a variety of punishments could be considered. "It's something like being able to dock pay, being able to suspend them from attending council meetings." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This afternoon it was confirmed that bird flu has been detected on our shores. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said a brown skua had tested positive after it was found on Petone Beach in Wellington. It comes after more than a dozen cases of the virus were detected in Australia. So just how big is this risk and what should be looking out for? Natalie Forsdick is the President Birds New Zealand and she joins me now.

The uncomfortable truth National MPs won't say out loud is that nothing is moving the dial. With eight consecutive polls putting the party under 30%, Christopher Luxon has a massive messenger problem. Plus, the man himself, Paul Henry, joins the podcast. He reveals why he's trading his runway for a run at Parliament with Act, and whether he can actually survive the mundane reality of Wellington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Poultry Association's worried but prepared, as New Zealand's first case of bird flu arrives. The virus was detected in a dead seabird on Wellington's Petone Beach today, but officials say there's no evidence of widespread transmission. Association boss Fiona MacMillan says the industry's confident in its plans, and there's no cause for panic. "What it can do is devastating, but we've been preparing for this for quite some time. So in a sense - this detection doesn't change anything." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Employment law expert Charles McGuinness joins Kathryn to discuss two recent high-profile employment cases, and looks at the reasons why an employee can be removed from workplace, the legal framework for suspensions and what employers have to consider not just before going down that route, but what happens after. Charles McGuinness is an employment lawyer based in Wellington

This week we've been talking about our relationships with our phones. Justine Hamill, who manages Red Door Recovery, a drug and alcohol treatment centre in Wellington spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Wade flew from Australia to New Zealand for 24 hours. Joe picked him up from the airport at midnight, one night in Christchurch for a 400-person hunting expo, and back on a plane the next day. This one picks up where the last two episodes left off, and goes somewhere different. Joe breaks down the very real threat YouTube poses to every hunting creator on the platform. One strike on one video and your entire channel network is gone, permanently, no appeal. He's building a free off-platform community before that happens, and he doesn't know of a single other creator in New Zealand or Australia doing it. Then the documentary. It's confirmed. The title is decided. Wade's not saying it yet, but when Joe heard it he said there was nothing left to discuss. A cinema roadshow across New Zealand is on the table - Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch. If you own a 438-seat cinema, get in touch. Plus - why Joe has turned down 50 international hunt offers and keeps coming back to the same mountains, what solo hunting actually gives him that nothing else can, Wade's grandmother who got through war, loss and a rough marriage without ever saying a word to anyone about it, and whether Starlink in the backcountry is the best or worst idea in New Zealand's history. VIDEO | PHOTO | FILM | MARKETING You're end-to-end Digital Solution Work with us… www.flowstateproductions.com.au Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wadekelly_/ https://www.instagram.com/flowstate_collective_podcast/ https://www.instagram.com/flowstate_productions/  

Paul Henry and I go back a long way. Decades in fact. He used to read news on a show of mine. I can't say I saw politics in his future, but then I can't say I could have ruled it out either. And why not him? He's retired, he could be bored, or he could be driven to make a contribution, if hanging out in Wellington is a contribution you want to make. He is good fun, he is bright, and he is worldly. But I don't think he will fit well into the “system”. He is a free spirit, and those sorts of people don't tend to operate well in teams with instruction. He spoke passionately about his country. It could be age, but I feel exactly the same way. I don't have to live here, I chose to because I love this place. He is in the same sort of position, so why not try to lend a hand? He spoke singularly about our debt and he is indisputably right. He could have stolen the lines and concern from me. Maybe all blokes of 60-ish age worry about our debt and our country. Maybe it's because we are old enough to remember better days and see no reason why we can't re-engineer the place to be like it once was. But politics is about more than debt. The other issue is if you're going to Wellington to save the country you really need to be in a position of power and National has more power than ACT. So this is clearly also a philosophical or ideological decision – he likes the cut of their libertarian gib. In terms of performance the place will be better for him. He's fun and quick. He might want to watch the line between serious and clown, entertaining and nutty, professional and self-indulgent. The big gamechanger for him will be accountability. Once they vote for you, once they pay for you, they own you and, boy, they let you know it. But I like people who don't have to do stuff, doing stuff. They are generally there for the right reasons. David Seymour told me it's just the shot in the arm they need right now. I think he's right. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh Frizzell is a renowned kiwi filmmaker and director - the brains behind some of our iconic small screen moments. And yes, you may recognize his last name - he hails from a family of well-known artists. He's recently turned his hand to producing a short documentary, The Weight of the World, about his father, artist Dick Frizzell. The film is part of this year's Doc Edge festival, which was in Auckland earlier this week, and is now in Wellington. Josh joins Susana live in our Auckland studio for a chat.

This (walnut)Wednesday we welcome my (not)old friend since primary and high school, Matt Eller. I got to pick Matt's brain on living out my drama school dreams where he did a diploma to finally actually "living the dream" with his company, Evoke Audio. We also touched on a squishy topic after Matt and his wife's new home was crashed into by a car, in the middle of the night and how that horror movie of an incident, has impacted him.Matt is a full-time audio engineer who began his career in Wellington after graduating from Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School, working across various theatre shows and companies as a technical operator and sound designer. A move to Auckland at the end of 2014 shifted his focus to live audio engineering, where he started working as the primary audio engineer and road manager for the Modern Māori Quartet, touring throughout New Zealand and around the world. In 2020, he co-founded Evoke Audio alongside his mate Ricky, an audio post-production studio based in West Auckland.Check out Evoke Audio: www.evokeaudio.xyzConnect with Matt: @matteller_audio @evokeaudionz

PJ hears about a plan to zone 48 acres for housing in Maryborough Hill Douglas, hears Wellington Road residents want more supports for vulnerable people in the area, learns how to watch for the International Space Station over the next few nights. And more... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PJ talks to Sean, who says a roof is just a start for people and ignoring complex needs is not fair and makes the area unsafe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A familiar face around the halls of the All Blacks hotel in Auckland ahead of facing Ireland this Saturday. Rieko Ioane has been called into camp to provide injury cover for the outside backs. Coach Dave Rennie says they're looking at an otherwise clean bill of health, with Patrick Tuipulotu and Luke Jacobson - subbed off at halftime against Italy - declared fit. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Black debutant Josh Moorby's barnstorming display during the weekend's 47-17 victory over Italy in Wellington capped a memorable 28th birthday for the explosive outside back. Moorby spoke to John Campbell.

On today's episode of The Agenda, ACC Head G Lane and Tony Lyall discuss Bazball being no more! So, what's next for England cricket, what's next for Brendon McCullum, and does this mean Tim Southee might have to spend time with his family (06:50)? Also, the Black Caps get beaten by the West Indies in the 1st ODI but not without controversy (13:30)...Next, revisit the weekend's trip to Wellington to commentate the All Blacks, featuring everything from the accommodation to the flat drops to Will Jordan breaking records and a player getting Sent Off for headbutting (17:10)! Plus, we spend 69 seconds on Conor McGregor's humiliating return to the UFC (30:15), and round up the Football World Cup with the exit of the Norwegian's (34:20).Finally, we wrap it all up with an especially inebriated 'Yours Please' (38:00)... 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.

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has made plenty of tweaks for this weekend's sold out test against Italy in Wellington with a third of the starting XV switched out. Rugby reporter Joe Porter spoke to Lisa Owen.

Our favourite Jono moments of the year... (00:00) Jono’s Wellington trip turns wholesome when a random family invites him to their dinner (02:40) Jono tests if he’s fit to be a police officer and the results are humbling (07:00) The IRD if after Jono... (10:00) Jono's ongoing battle with a $55 court fee spirals… now the Ministry of Justice is involved (13:30) The lamest injury ever? A neck injury… just from walking (15:40) Overheard in a cafe... a VERY public divorce strategy session (18:30) Jono witnesses a confrontation and refuses to testify as a star witness (21:35) Mystery of “Liam Rankin” — the guy losing EVERYTHING while Jono gets all his calls Join the Itty Bitty Hitty Committee HERE!Instagram: @THEHITSBREAKFASTFacebook: The Hits Breakfast with Jono, Ben & MeganSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode of The Agenda podcast, Matt Heath joins ACC Head G Lane & Tony Lyall to bask in the glow of a NSW State of Origin Series win, and ask what the forefathers of cricket would make of the NRL bunker (05:15)...Next, will Will Jordan score the most out of any All Black in Wellington on Saturday (22:00), also it's the Football World Cup Quarter-Finals, so what should Matt prepare to serve at his watch party as the Three Lions try to bring it home (30:10), and we head to Matt Heath's F1 corner to find Max Verstappen drinking gin on his boat (40:40)...We round it all up with your feedback in 'Yours Please', and show exactly how much work goes into coming up with an official ACC nickname (48:30) 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.

Jackson and Doug both out today. Doug officiating weddings. People didn't realize how funny Doug was before TMA. You have to leave this show for people to like you. Papers grabbing a walnut bowl. Pippin' Papers. Feels like last night could have been the beginning of the end for the Cardinals. Opinions have changed quite a bit since Sunday afternoon at Wrigley. Tip of the cap to Torres. Guys needing a little extra time between appearances? McGreevy's dad says he listens. Finna throw a perfect game, Martin.Is Wednesday Ladies Day at The Country Club. JR going to hang out during the 8:00 hour. This show's picks makes people money. Had this stretch circled as pretty important. The diluted post season affecting things. Pick a lane. Moving Gray, Donovan, Contreras, and Arenado last offseason.Jeremy Rutherford joins us in studio. Fire In The Hole at SIlver Dollar City. Reppin' Lutheran South. Ice sculptures and plated meals. Is Crusaders offensive? Chairman's list of numbers he's sent to Martin. What was scarier, Dan Jansen or the pitbull?Junior hockey is NOT youth hockey. Fun with text audits. Gluten Free Perc. What are Blues fans asking JR about the most lately? Is it Alex or Alexander Steen?Summer '98. Joe Buck's call. Things aren't getting any easier for the Redbirds. Harrison has been dealing for the Brewers. Harrison with a burr in his saddle for the All-Star snub. Milwaukee always seems to grab the right guy at the right time. The Rays of the National League.Two staff members from the USMNT were suspended for Monday's match against Belgium but hadn't explained the reasoning for the suspension. Argentina with the big comeback over Egypt yesterday. Viewership on Fox for USA/Belgium. Peaking close to 37M viewers. The head coach of Egypt says his team was victim of an "injustice."Still waiting for Jackson to refute the claims of him being hungover. Baseball executives with Twitter burners. Wellington has his buddy Vitello's back on Twitter. Drink on Twitter. Drink's interaction with Brenden Schaeffer.They don't like Chairman, they just like to crap on Papers. Chairman ran the gauntlet of awards at Meramec Heights Elementary. Don La Greca.EMOTDMartin delivering on a tease from last segment about a guest who felt snubbed from the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce wedding. Charles Barkley doesn't do weddings or funerals. Tim doesn't like hearing the 2004-2006 version of himself.Hoping Papers feels better soon. Audio of Oli Marmol talking about the handling of the tired pitching staff in the double header yesterday.And the winner of the EMOTD is...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(00:00-17:58) Still waiting for Jackson to refute the claims of him being hungover. Baseball executives with Twitter burners. Wellington has his buddy Vitello's back on Twitter. Drink on Twitter. Drink's interaction with Brenden Schaeffer.(18:06-28:09) They don't like Chairman, they just like to crap on Papers. Chairman ran the gauntlet of awards at Meramec Heights Elementary. Don La Greca.(28:19-39:58) EMOTDSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The wild weather has jumped the Cook Strait with a large swathe of the North Island in for a drenching. Orange heavy rain warnings are in place for Wairarapa and the eastern hills of Wellington, as well as a number of other eastern areas of the North Island. Reporter Mary Argue spoke to Lisa Owen from Martinborough.

Wellington Rugby has met with referees who have been copping abused from the field and the side lines to come up with some solutions to allow games to continue to be played this season. All games are cancelled in Wellington this weekend after referees withdrew their services, but there's an agreement that a new programme called 'positive vibes' is part of the way forward. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

In two weeks' time, Shan Liu will make his mainstage, solo debut with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Wellington. The 16-year-old Auckland piano player is the youngest winner of the National Concerto Competition competition in its 57 year history. Shan spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Junior Indoor Cricket nationals are underway in Wellington this week. The tournament has showcased the growth of the sport among young women, with 11 girls teams participating. Robbie Kerr is the director of the tournament.

The Wellington Rugby Union is throwing its support behind referees who are boycotting club games due to ongoing abuse. All college to club level games are cancelled this weekend after the union decided not to draft in replacement referees. Wellington Rugby Union boss, Tony Giles spoke to Lisa Owen.

My guest this episode is Ben Wellington, Head of Complex Feature Engines at Two Sigma.In a modern quant process, one might argue that edge can live in three places: the data you can get your hands on, what you do with that data, and how you forecast from it. Ben lives squarely in the middle layer — feature generation — which also happens to be the place AI is reshaping fastest.So that's where we spend our time. We start with what a "feature" even is, and why, as raw data gets commoditized, the edge increasingly comes from what you build out of it. Then we follow the thread running through the whole conversation: large language models. Ben has a line I keep coming back to — that anything can be language now — and we trace what that unlocks, and whether making feature creation this cheap just democratizes the edge away.We close on what a quant starting out today should be building toward, and which skills compound most in a career where AI is the dominant tool.Please enjoy my conversation with Ben Wellington.

It's the word All Black fans dread; Rotation. After surviving the French in Christchurch, the side has hinted at rotating the team for the Italians in Wellington. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Wellington rugby referees have pulled out of all games around the capital this coming weekend due to ongoing sideline abuse. The Wellington Rugby Referees Association said so far this season there have been 19 incidents, including three on Saturday. That can be anything from swearing to inappropriate hand gestures. President of the Wellington Rugby Referees Association Ben Van Berkel spoke to Lisa Owen.

In tonight's dead letter, we head about as far from the Office as you can get — the Hutt Valley near Wellington, New Zealand — for a story from Billy, a working artist who'd call himself a cautious skeptic. His wife was deep into a spiritualist church and her own psychic abilities, and he mostly kept his distance from all of it. Then something started visiting their bed at night, something that felt exactly like a cat walking up the covers, even though their actual cat was nowhere near the room. Weeks later, a message about it came back to the family through his wife that no one was expecting.Windy Wellington — Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: https://teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/13182/windy-wellingtonCook Strait — Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand: https://www.linz.govt.nz/our-work/new-zealand-geographic-board/place-name-stories/place-names-cooks-voyages/cook-straitKupe — Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: https://teara.govt.nz/en/first-peoples-in-maori-tradition/page-6Hutt Valley — Wellington places — Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: https://teara.govt.nz/en/wellington-places/page-8Capital city: Wellington since 1865 — Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: https://teara.govt.nz/en/capital-cityCan Our Dead Pets Come Back to Visit Us? — Rupert Sheldrake: https://www.sheldrake.org/essays/can-our-dead-pets-come-back-to-visit-usKaitiaki — guardians — Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: https://teara.govt.nz/en/kaitiakitanga-guardianship-and-conservation/page-4Sleep Paralysis, the "Bedroom Intruder," and the Sensed Presence — NIH / NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5329044/Wellington Paranormal — Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington_ParanormalWe're looking for more stories! Send your Dead Letter to deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com!Thanks to Mint Mobile for sponsoring tonight's episode. Ditch the overpriced wireless bill, bring your own phone and number, and get premium coverage on the nation's largest 5G network for $15 a month — three months at that price at mintmobile.com/dlo.