A date with Country Calendar: A day on the farm and behind the scenes of New Zealand’s longest-running and most popular TV show
“We looked at each other and said: ‘That’s it, that’ll do’,” Trotter recalled during a special 40th anniversary Country Calendar show, 20 years ago. Kate Broadbent on Nikau Coopworth farm in Waikato - she was the focus of a Country Calendar episode in late 2025. Broadbent talks of agriculture’s place as the backbone of New Zealand and the importance of Country Calendar in showcasing that. Photo / Annaleise ShortlandWellington-based Henry has been connected to Country Calendar since 2008 and has been its producer since 2023. “There’s not a Country Calendar I’ve done that I haven’t enjoyed in some way.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 16, 2026 18:23 UTC
Ex-Māori Party candidate Kelvin Martin revealed as Auckland paedophile handed rare prison term
Martin had argued that revealing his legal status as a convicted paedophile would jeopardise his safety in prison – especially while on remand in Auckland. Photo / NZME“Your offending included significant elements of degradation and cruelty in isolating the younger girl and directing her actions,” Justice Pheroze Jagose told Martin. “You denied your 2006 offending at sentencing, which the judge then recorded was ‘a cause for continuing concern’,” Justice Jagose noted at the most recent sentencing. “He wants to make himself better,” Hamlin recently told Justice Jagose. Photo / Paul EstcourtA normal sentence, Justice Jagose later noted, could have resulted in Martin being returned to the community on parole by later this year.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 16, 2026 17:31 UTC
Medical Nightmares, Uno Violence & Disney Trauma Are ALL Connected by One Daily Podcast – 105.7 The Point
All of it is discussed with confidence in this Rizz Show daily podcast. A man discovers his massive beer belly is actually a 77-pound tumor, setting a medical record nobody asked for. The crew debates whether your brain secretly stores everything you’ve ever experienced — which might explain why this daily podcast exists in the first place. Follow The Rizzuto Show → https://linktr.ee/rizzshowConnect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → https://1057thepoint.com/RizzShowHear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO. Daily Show Notes:See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 16, 2026 16:40 UTC
Most Auckland beaches unsafe for swimming after wastewater overflows
Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Most Auckland beaches unsafe for swimming after wastewater overflowsMost Auckland and outer gulf beaches are unsafe for swimming today because of contaminated waterways, with heavy rain triggering wastewater overflow throughout the region. The Auckland Council’s Safeswim tool, which uses real-time data on rainfall, wind and other environmental factors to predict water quality across city beaches, shows almost all those lining the two harbours are unsuitable for swimming. Black “do not swim” warnings, the highest possible level, are issued when wastewater has been detected. Lower alert levels, such as red flags, advise against swimming, while a red swimming symbol on top indicates water that frequently fails to meet national standards.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 16, 2026 16:15 UTC
'Extreme hostility' at builder misdirected
Stonewood Homes Otago director Regan McCormack says the business is trying to distance itself from the former Stonewood Homes Dunedin franchise "as much as we can". PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIENA Dunedin business owner was abused in a supermarket and is facing "extreme hostility" after being falsely linked to an under-fire builder. Mr Sneddon ran the Stonewood Homes Dunedin franchise until May 2024 and his company — Braemar Building Ltd — is in liquidation owing an estimated $850,000. "Regan was already building homes in Otago prior to joining Stonewood Homes and came with strong client endorsements and Master Builders membership. Mr Sneddon did not respond to a request for comment before deadline yesterday.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 16, 2026 15:35 UTC
Outraged by horrific killing in Minneapolis
Civis was contemplating this in the wake of the shooting of Minneapolis woman Renee Good by an Ice (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officer. At the other extreme, Ms Good was wielding a potentially lethal weapon in the form of a large vehicle. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, meanwhile, did not hesitate to label the incident "an act of domestic terrorism" by Ms Good. Alarmingly, Mr Trump said this week that "at a very minimum, that woman was very, very disrespectful to law enforcement". If disrespecting law enforcement warrants being shot and killed, what does that say?
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 16, 2026 15:34 UTC
Aim to foster a head for safe limits
PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIENUsing your head during the Masters Games may save your life. That’s the message of three clinicians who will host a seminar about men’s and women’s health during the event. Anna Zhai, who works for the Headache Clinic in Princes St, said we often took for granted the importance of head health. "The thing with these kind of people who participate in the Masters Games is they like to push through." The 2026 Masters Games take place in Dunedin from January 31 to February 8.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 16, 2026 15:34 UTC
Ocean heat exploding
Photo: ReutersMore heat accumulated in the ocean in 2025 than in any year since modern measurements began, an internationally recognised climate scientist from New Zealand, Dr Kevin Trenberth, says. Heat in the upper 2km of the ocean rose by an estimated 23 zettajoules, according to a study co-authored by Trenberth. That is the equivalent of detonating hundreds of millions of Hiroshima atomic bombs — or roughly 200 times global electrical energy consumption in 2023. The extra heat drives global sea-level rise and intensifies extreme weather by increasing heat and moisture in the atmosphere.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 16, 2026 14:48 UTC
The colour of erasure
Do you know what I thought of when I saw Pantone’s new colour of the year, Cloud Dancer? The guys at Pantone know exactly what they’re doing when they gather to make their annual selection. Trump’s purge of diversity, equity and inclusion content and roles from government, saw a literal erasure of colour in American workplaces, which neatly reflected what was happening in the sea. This is to take the colour choice literally though, and if I know one thing about the visual poets of Pantone it is that they trade largely in metaphor, enigma and vibe, so there are layers to the choice of a colour that is, really, an absence of colour. Cloud Dancer is the colour of ChatGPT therapy, or the sky at a time of crisis, or the moment you stop trying.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 16, 2026 14:48 UTC
Princess of Wales: I play rugby with Charlotte – but I don’t want to be tackled by George
The Princess of Wales has revealed that she plays rugby with her daughter – but wouldn’t want to be tackled by Prince George, her eldest child. She told the team that both Prince George, 12, and Prince Louis, seven, played rugby at school, whereas 10-year-old Princess Charlotte joins in at home. Speaking about how schools often choose not to separate boys and girls for sport when they are younger, the Princess said: “Charlotte is playing rugby, but at home with the family, so she isn’t playing yet at school. “Rugby is so accessible, Louis is playing touch rugby, and it’s such a great game. “Obviously, as they get physically stronger – George now, if we play at home, I do not want to get tackled… but up to a certain age, I think it’s great.”
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 16, 2026 14:24 UTC
Food prices drop for fourth month while electricity and gas costs surge
Prices for non-alcoholic beverages were also higher on an annual basis, up 3.6% in the 12 months to December 2025. Electricity prices rose 12.2% in the year to December (up 1.5% monthly), with gas prices also higher, up 17.5% annually and 1.9% monthly. Domestic air transport prices were down 1.2% on an annual basis, but increased by 15.8% monthly. International air transport prices were up 6.6% annually and increased on a monthly basis by 32.9%. As for accommodation, domestic prices were up 4.9% on an annual and monthly basis, while international accommodation prices were up 14.7% annually, but fell 0.5% on a monthly basis.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 16, 2026 12:20 UTC
Former All Black Craig Dowd deplores Scott Robertson's sacking
Photo: Photosport / Anthony Au-YeungA former All Black has called the public leaking of the internal review into Scott Robertson's All Black side "horrific". Robertson was unceremoniously sacked on Thursday afternoon as head coach of the All Blacks after just two years at the helm. A veteran of 60 tests, Craig Dowd said the leak was a sad indictment on the players. Dowd said he was "gutted" for Robertson, and condemned the current players for not standing by him. Dowd said he has been in contact with Robertson and was confident his coaching career would endure.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 16, 2026 12:18 UTC
Oamaru truck crash disrupts key route
The main road through Oamaru is now clear following a truck crash early this morning. A truck and trailer unit crashed at around 3.10am, on State Highway 1 (Thames Highway) between Sandringham Street and College Street, police said. There were no reports of serious injuries from the crash but the road was partially blocked. The crashed truck had now been towed and the road was now fully clear on SH1 near the intersection of College Street, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said. - Allied Media
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 16, 2026 10:04 UTC
'Increasing levels of fire risk' as Otago dries out
Coastal North Otago will move to a restricted fire season on Monday morning as the region dries out. Anyone planning to light an outdoor fire will need a permit from Fire and Emergency NZ. Inland Otago is already in a restricted fire season, including Queenstown Lakes, Central Otago and northern parts of the Waitaki District. Fenz district commander Craig Gold said the move reflected the increasing levels of fire risk around Otago. There are exemptions for cultural cooking fires, but other types of recreational fires like campfires and bonfires would also need a permit, obtained in advance.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 16, 2026 08:16 UTC
Christopher Luxon poised to water down Auckland housing intensification plan
More than 5000 Aucklanders had a say on Plan Change 120 when submissions closed last month. Former National Cabinet minister Maurice Williamson has attacked Chris Bishop's intensification plan for Auckland. The Coalition for More Housing today said it was “deeply concerned” about reports that Luxon was intending to backtrack on Plan Change 120. Spokesman Scott Caldwell said the group would be opposed and distraught if the housing figure was lowered. Character Coalition chairwoman Sally Hughes said the membership of 60 heritage and community groups would be very happy to see the two-million housing plan watered down.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 16, 2026 03:44 UTC