Radio New Zealand National. 2015-08-06. 00:00-23:59.

A 24-hour recording of Radio New Zealand National. The following rundown is sourced from the broadcaster’s website. Note some overseas/copyright restricted items may not appear in the supplied rundown:

06 August 2015

===12:04 AM. | All Night Programme===
=DESCRIPTION=

Including: 12:05 Music after Midnight; 12:30 One in Five (RNZ); 1:05 Discovery (BBC); 2:05 The Thursday Feature (RNZ); 3:05 Heart of Darfur, by Lisa French Blaker (11 of 12, RNZ); 3:30 NZ Books (RNZ)

===6:00 AM. | Morning Report===
=DESCRIPTION=

Radio New Zealand's three-hour breakfast news show with news and interviews, bulletins on the hour and half-hour

=AUDIO=

06:00
Top Stories for Thursday 6 August 2015
BODY:
Malaysia's prime minister confirms a section of plane wing found last week on the shores of Reunion Island is from Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370. The French aren't so adament. We hear more from our correspondent in Paris. A fishing boat packed with hundreds of migrants capsizes off the coast of Libya. 25 people are confirmed drowned so far. We cross to our correspondent in Malta. Friends and family of a Nepalese man who died with his wife and young son in a fire in Waimate are in shock at the deaths.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 28'11"

06:06
Sports News for 6 August 2015
BODY:
An update from the team at RNZ Sport.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 1'55"

06:11
Boeing 777 wing segment confirmed from Flight MH370
BODY:
In breaking news ..Malaysia's Prime Minister, Najib Razak, has confirmed a Boeing 777 wing segment discovered in the Indian Ocean island of Reunion is from the missing Flight MH370.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: flight MH370, Malaysia
Duration: 2'46"

06:20
Pacific News for 6 August 2015
BODY:
The latest from the Pacific region.
Topics: Pacific
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'44"

06:22
Morning Rural News for 6 August 2015
BODY:
News from the rural and farming sector.
Topics: rural, farming
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'58"

06:26
Te Manu Korihi News for 6 August 2015
BODY:
A Northland marae says an agreement its signed with an electricity generator will provide positive benefits for the whole community and see Ngawha become the geothermal hub of the north; An Auckland Maori leader says both iwi and central government have a responsibility to help improve the economic situation of Maori in the city; The Taranaki polytech that was forced to withdraw the qualifications of about 400 Maori performing arts students last year is ranked bottom in the sector's latest performance ratings; A exhibition featuring a collection of informal interviews filmed with well-known and prominent New Zealanders on their views on the place of the Treaty of Waitangi opens in Auckland tonight.
Topics: te ao Maori
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'51"

06:44
Friend of Nepalese man, who died with his wife and young son
BODY:
A friend of the Nepalese man, who died with his wife and young son in a fire in their flat above their restaurant in Waimate, says the family had been planning to move into a house in the town.
Topics:
Regions: Canterbury
Tags: Waimate, fire
Duration: 1'46"

06:46
Dairy farmers struggling to keep bank managers happy
BODY:
Struggling dairy farmers are resorting to selling off surplus farm equipment to keep the bank manager at arm's length.
Topics: farming
Regions:
Tags: dairy prices
Duration: 2'32"

06:50
Further signals RB will cut interest rates
BODY:
Weak pay rises and slowing jobs growth are providing further signals the Reserve Bank will cut interest rates further this year.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: interest rates
Duration: 2'18"

06:52
Energy sector stocks more attractive following Contact sale
BODY:
A market analyst says New Zealand's energy sector stocks are more attractive than ever, following this week's sale of a 53 percent stake in Contact Energy and a deal that ensures the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter will stay open for at least three years.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: energy sector
Duration: 2'19"

06:55
Weather may provide boost to dairy prices - economist
BODY:
The risk of drought in parts of the world may provide support following sharp falls in global dairy prices.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: dairy prices
Duration: 1'35"

06:56
Ryan Bridge in China
BODY:
China's stock market meltdown continues to bubble away amid slowing economic growth, and now, its all-important manufacturing sector is making cries for help.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: China
Duration: 2'07"

06:58
Morning markets for 6 August 2015
BODY:
Wall Street is up after after stronger service sector data last month.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: markets
Duration: 55"

07:07
Sports News for 6 August 2015
BODY:
An update from the team at RNZ Sport.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 1'53"

07:11
Malaysia confirms plane debris is from Flight MH370
BODY:
The Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, has confirmed that the Boeing triple-seven wing segment found in the Indian Ocean Island of Reunion is from the missing Malaysian Airlines flight, MH370.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: flight MH370, Malaysia
Duration: 5'25"

07:14
Fires claim six lives barely a month into new reporting period
BODY:
Four deaths yesterday, including those of Tej, Tika and Pream Kafle in a blaze at their Waimate home, bring the death toll from fires to six since the start of July.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: fires, deaths
Duration: 3'09"

07:17
Frantic rescue operation underway after migrant boat capsizes
BODY:
A frantic rescue operation is underway in the Mediterranean after a fishing boat packed with as many as 700 migrants capsized off the coast of Libya.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Mediterranean, capsized, fishing boat, migrants
Duration: 4'15"

07:21
Waimate family's deaths 'just tragic'
BODY:
The Nepalese man who died alongside his wife and young son in a house fire had moved to Waimate to provide his family with a better life.
Topics:
Regions: Canterbury
Tags: Waimate, fire
Duration: 3'42"

07:25
Fonterra expected to cut its forecast payout after slump
BODY:
Struggling dairy farmers expect Fonterra to slash its forecast payout again tomorrow after another disastrous international dairy auction.
Topics: farming
Regions:
Tags: Fonterra, dairy prices
Duration: 3'35"

07:29
Struggling dairy farmers face up to grim realities
BODY:
Federated Farmers dairy industry group chairman Andrew Hoggard was listening to that.
Topics: farming
Regions:
Tags: Fonterra, dairy prices
Duration: 3'49"

07:36
Sentencing for man who raped and murdered of Blessie Gotingco
BODY:
The man who raped and murdered North Shore mother Blessie Gotingco faces the liklihood of being sentenced to preventive detention today.
Topics: crime
Regions:
Tags: Blessie Gotingco
Duration: 2'43"

07:40
Fox announces Republican debate roster
BODY:
Fox News has announced the 10-person lineup for tomorrow's Republican presidential debate and the top slot has gone to billionare Donald Trump.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: US, Republican presidential debate
Duration: 4'04"

07:47
Greens renew calls for inquiry into Saudi sheep affair
BODY:
A second dump of documents related to the Government's Saudi sheep farm deal yesterday shows Treasury officials had misgivings about the plan.
Topics: politics
Regions:
Tags: Saudi sheep trade
Duration: 3'50"

07:51
Rena cleanup plan ends but concerns linger
BODY:
A three-and-a-half year plan to return the Bay of Plenty coast to what it was before the Rena ran aground has wrapped up.
Topics: politics
Regions: Bay of Plenty
Tags: Rena
Duration: 3'06"

07:54
Legal aid threshold may prevent access to protection orders
BODY:
The Government's proposed overhaul of laws dealing with domestic violence has been welcomed by many advocates working in the sector.
Topics: politics
Regions:
Tags: legal aid, domestic violence
Duration: 5'33"

08:07
Sports News for 6 August 2015
BODY:
An update from the team at RNZ Sport.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'05"

08:12
Town of Waimate is still in shock
BODY:
Residents in the South Canterbury town of Waimate are still in shock at the loss of three members of their community.
Topics:
Regions: Canterbury
Tags: Waimate, fire
Duration: 2'04"

08:17
Val Adams pulls out of World Chamionships
BODY:
New Zealand's double Olympic shot put champion Valerie Adams has pulled out of this month's World Championships in Beijing.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags: Valerie Adams, shot put
Duration: 3'41"

08:21
Frustrated dairy farmers look to converting their farms
BODY:
Converting to beef farming is starting to look even more appealing for some struggling dairy farmers.
Topics: farming, rural
Regions:
Tags: Beef farming
Duration: 6'13"

08:29
Race Relations Commissioner - politics in her sights
BODY:
The Race Relations Commissioner has taken a swipe at politicans who are playing the race card.
Topics: politics
Regions:
Tags: race relations
Duration: 3'40"

08:33
Markets Update for 6 August 2015
BODY:
A brief update of movements in the financial sector.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: markets
Duration: 53"

08:38
Efforts to stem migration from Cooks
BODY:
New Zealand and the Cook Islands have reaffirmed their strong ties 50 years after a novel deal was forged allowing self government for the Cooks including New Zealand passports for its people.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Cook Islands
Duration: 3'40"

08:42
Tribal Huk gang wants to expand sandwich service nationwide
BODY:
Gang members who have been making and delivering sandwiches to Waikato schools want to take their programme nationwide.
Topics: food
Regions: Waikato
Tags: sandwiches
Duration: 3'50"

08:46
Former British PM investigated for allegations
BODY:
Five police forces across England are looking into allegations the former British Prime Minister, Sir Edward Heath, sexually molested children.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Sir Edward Heath, UK
Duration: 2'45"

08:50
Te Manu Korihi News for 6 August 2015
BODY:
A Northland marae says an agreement its signed with an electricity generator will provide positive benefits for the whole community and see Ngawha become the geothermal hub of the north; An Auckland Maori leader says both iwi and central government have a responsibility to help improve the economic situation of Maori in the city; The Taranaki polytech that was forced to withdraw the qualifications of about 400 Maori performing arts students last year is ranked bottom in the sector's latest performance ratings; A exhibition featuring a collection of informal interviews filmed with well-known and prominent New Zealanders on their views on the place of the Treaty of Waitangi opens in Auckland tonight.
Topics: te ao Maori
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'30"

08:53
DOC staff still unhappy two years after restructure
BODY:
A leaked survey shows staff at the Department of Conservation feel underpaid, have little confidence in their senior managers and more than half of those surveyed are thinking about looking for a new job.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Department of Conservation, DOC
Duration: 2'42"

08:56
Popular Auckland golf course to be carved up
BODY:
A popular Auckland Council-owned golf course is to be carved up to allow room for other sport facilities to be built, despite strong opposition from residents.
Topics: politics
Regions: Auckland Region
Tags: Chamberlain Park Golf Course
Duration: 3'10"

=SHOW NOTES=

===9:06 AM. | Nine To Noon===
=DESCRIPTION=

Current affairs and topics of interest, including: 10:45 The Reading: Heart of Silence by Steve Danby, read by Robyn Duncan-Cox (1 of 12, RNZ)

=AUDIO=

09:08
Dairy farmers awaiting Fonterra's revised milk price forecast
BODY:
Dairy farmers are anxiously awaiting Fonterra's revised milk price forecast to be announced tomorrow. A cut in the current forecast payout of 5-dollar-25 per kilo of milk solids is widely expected. Hamish Gow, Massey University Professor of Agribusiness says the country's been in the grip of white gold fever which was never sustainable. He discusses the the global forces driving prices down, and the likely impact on the dairy sector and the wider economy.
Topics: rural, farming, economy
Regions:
Tags: Fonterra, diary industry, dairy
Duration: 22'01"

09:33
Could Bonobo Apes hold the key to language evolution?
BODY:
Dr Zanna Clay from the University of Birmingham has been studying wild bonobo apes, one of our closest primate relatives, since 2007. Latest research shows they have communication skills which were previously thought to be unique to humans. The bonobos use a single, high-pitched call or 'peep' in different situations, meaning their fellow primates have to work out what they mean from the context. This sound is remarkably similar to the noises made by a human infant.
EXTENDED BODY:

Images courtesy Zanna Clay.
Dr Zanna Clay from the University of Birmingham has been studying wild bonobo apes, one of our closest primate relatives, since 2007.
Latest research shows they have communication skills which were previously thought to be unique to humans. The bonobos use a single, high-pitched call or 'peep' in different situations, meaning their fellow primates have to work out what they mean from the context. This sound is remarkably similar to the noises made by a human infant.
Dr Zanna Clay talks to Kathryn Ryan.
Topics: science, language, environment
Regions:
Tags: primates, apes, bonobos
Duration: 12'31"

09:49
UK correspondent Matthew Parris
BODY:
Allegations the former British Prime Minister, Sir Edward Heath, sexually molested children. The Labour leadership campaign. The death of Cilla Black.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: UK, EU
Duration: 8'51"

10:05
The incredible tale of Lord Byron's daughter and a steam driven computer!
BODY:
Lord Byron's daughter, Augusta Ada Byron King, Countess of Lovelace, designed the blueprint for the first computer in the 1840s, in collaboration with Charles Babbage, but they both died before it could be built. Sydney Padua has turned the tables on history, and brought them all back to life in, The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, a madcap graphic novel where they built their fabulous 'Analytical Engine' and use it to become a crime fighting duo.
EXTENDED BODY:
Lord Byron's daughter, Ada Lovelace, (Augusta Ada Byron King, Countess of Lovelace) is widely regarded as the world's first computer programmer - which she did in the 1840s, about 150 years before the commercial home computer even existed.
This is because of her work, with Charles Babbage, a mathematician, engineer and inventor who designed an adding machine, named the Difference Engine, and a computer called the Analytical Engine, which she wrote the algorithm for.
She met him in 1833 when she was just 18, and he was in his late forties. But it wasn't until 1840 that Babbage started to take her seriously. Incredibly, she made the leap that his machine could be used to 'manipulate' information.
Lovelace, was enormously gifted, partially because of her 'boys education'. She was raised by mathematicians and wasn't even allowed to be told stories because her mother Lady Byron didn't want her to be inflicted with the same disease as her poet father, Lord Byron.
Sadly Lovelace died, aged just 36, before her true potential could come to fruition, and so the fabled steam driven Analytical Engine was never built....... until now.
Thanks to Sydney Padua's Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, their contributions to the world of science have been reborn in a madcap, crime fighting, Victorian caper joined by a host of unlikely celebrities, including Queen Victoria, herself.
Sydney Padua spoke to Nine to Noon's Kathryn Ryan and says the idea for her graphic novel began as a joke in a pub
Today Ada Lovelace is also remembered through Ada Lovelace Day, which is an annual celebration of women in science and technology.
Also the 'Ada' programming language for military computer systems, developed by a French computer scientist in the 1970s carries her name. Today it is widely used in "safety critical" settings: in the military, in banks and nuclear power plants, in medical devices and air traffic control.

Videos of how the Analytical Engine worked

Topics: science, arts, author interview, history, technology
Regions:
Tags: computers, graphic novels, Augusta Ada Byron King
Duration: 24'47"

10:36
Book Review: Artic Summer by Damon Galgut
BODY:
'Artic Summer' by Damon Galgut, published by Atlantic RRP $25.00. Reviewed by Ralph McAllister.
Topics: books
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 5'19"

11:07
New Technology commentator Robbie Allan
BODY:
The Windows 10 roll out and what "disruptive innovation" really means for a company. Robbie also discusses the social issues of autonomous cars, and what new on-demand services mean for employment.
Topics: technology
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 18'18"

11:27
Parenting difficult pre-schoolers
BODY:
Best ways dealing with difficult pre-schoolers... what are the to avoid supermarket tantrums, refusals to go to bed and general defiance? Dr Louise Keown is the Deputy Director of the Parenting Research Group at Auckland University which has been trialling interventions based on the Positive Parenting Programme, known as Triple P since 2008.
Topics: education
Regions:
Tags: parenting, pre-school
Duration: 16'44"

11:48
TV review with Paul Casserly
BODY:
New documentary on Prime about NZ band, Dragon. Lightbox is one year old, what are the best shows on the platform. Re-watching "Singing Detective" and other Dennis Potter gems on Youtube.
Topics: arts, media
Regions:
Tags: television
Duration: 11'00"

=SHOW NOTES=

09:05 Dairy farmers awaiting Fonterra's revised milk price forecast

Dairy farmers are anxiously awaiting Fonterra's revised milk price forecast to be announced tomorrow. A cut in the current forecast payout of 5-dollar-25 per kilo of milk solids is widely expected. Hamish Gow, Massey University Professor of Agribusiness says the country's been in the grip of white gold fever which was never sustainable. He discusses the the global forces driving prices down, and the likely impact on the dairy sector and the wider economy.

09:30 Could Bonobo Apes hold the key to language evolution?
Dr Zanna Clay from the University of Birmingham has been studying wild bonobo apes, one of our closest primate relatives, since 2007. Latest research shows they have communication skills which were previously thought to be unique to humans. The bonobos use a single, high-pitched call or 'peep' in different situations, meaning their fellow primates have to work out what they mean from the context. This sound is remarkably similar to the noises made by a human infant.

Images courtesy Zanna Clay
09:45 UK correspondent Matthew Parris
10:05 The incredible tale of Lord Byron's daughter and a steam driven computer!
Lord Byron's daughter, Augusta Ada Byron King, Countess of Lovelace, designed the blueprint for the first computer in the 1840s, in collaboration with Charles Babbage, but they both died before it could be built. Sydney Padua has turned the tables on history, and brought them all back to life in, The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, a madcap graphic novel where they built their fabulous 'Analytical Engine' and use it to become a crime fighting duo.
[gallery:1314]
10:30 Book Review: Artic Summer by Damon Galgut
Reviewed by Ralph McAllister
Artic Summer by Damon Galgut
Published by Atlantic RRP $25.00
10:45 The Reading: 'Heart of Silence' by Steve Danby read by Robyn Duncan-Cox (Part 1 of 2)
Reminiscing about her 15th birthday an old woman transports us back to Thames during the goldmining years.
11:05 New Technology commentator Robbie Allan
11:30 Parenting difficult pre-schoolers
Best ways dealing with difficult pre-schoolers... what are the to avoid supermarket tantrums, refusals to go to bed and general defiance? Dr Louise Keown is the Deputy Director of the Parenting Research Group at Auckland University which has been trialling interventions based on the Positive Parenting Programme, known as Triple P since 2008.
11:45 TV review with Paul Casserly

===Noon | Midday Report===
=DESCRIPTION=

Radio New Zealand news, followed by updates and reports until 1.00pm, including: 12:16 Business News 12:26 Sport 12:34 Rural News 12:43 Worldwatch

=AUDIO=

12:00
Midday News for 6 August 2015
BODY:
Blessie Gotingco's killer gets life in prison and a teenage girl missing for six days is found.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 15'06"

12:17
Kathmandu's board rejects Briscoe Group's takeover offer
BODY:
Kathmandu has rejected Briscoe Group's takeover offer saying it's too low.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'07"

12:20
Genesis Energy will shut its last two coal-burning generators
BODY:
Genesis Energy will shut its last two coal-burning electricity generators at the Huntly power station at the end of 2018.
Topics: business, economy, energy
Regions:
Tags: Genesis Energy, coal burning
Duration: 1'40"

12:22
Jean Jones' owner in liquidation
BODY:
The owner of the Jean Jones and Platform clothing firms is in liquidation, owing about $1.8 million.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: retail
Duration: 36"

12:23
Midday Markets for 6 August 2015
BODY:
For the latest from the markets we're joined by Brad Gordon at Macquarie Private Wealth.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'59"

12:27
Midday Sports News for 6 August 2015
BODY:
The Hurricanes back Nehe Milner-Skudder gets his chance to cement a place in the All Blacks' World Cup squad and Valerie Adams has announced she won't be defendnig her title at this month's World Championships in Beijing having failed to recover sufficiently from shoulder and elbow surgery.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'26"

12:32
Long Range Weather Forecast for 6 August 2015
BODY:
Long Range Weather Forecast for 6 August 2015.
Topics: weather
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'54"

12:35
Midday Rural News for 6 August 2015
BODY:
News from the rural and farming sectors.
Topics: rural, farming
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 7'45"

=SHOW NOTES=

===1:06 PM. | Jesse Mulligan, 1–4pm===
=DESCRIPTION=

Information and debate, people and places around NZ

=AUDIO=

13:10
Song You Have To Hear - Avant Gardener
BODY:
By Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett.
Topics: music
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 6'05"

13:15
The future of urban golf courses - Dr Dushko Boganovich
BODY:
Local council board agrees to look at carving up the Chamberlain Park Golf course in Auckland - a step closer to making it nine holes, instead of 18. With the city's population expanding at a rate of knots, what is the best use for such large swathes of green land in the city?
Topics:
Regions: Auckland Region
Tags: Auckland Council
Duration: 5'55"

13:20
William Malone biographer Jock Vennell
BODY:
This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the battle at Chunuk Bair, and perhaps the best known New Zealander to serve at Gallipoli, and fall during that campaign, is Lieutenant Colonel William Malone. Military historian and author, Jock Vennell, is due to launch the first ever biography of Malone.
EXTENDED BODY:
This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the battle at Chunuk Bair, and perhaps the best known New Zealander to serve at Gallipoli, and fall during that campaign, is Lieutenant Colonel William Malone.
Military historian and author, Jock Vennell, is due to launch the first ever biography of Malone.
Topics: author interview, history
Regions:
Tags: Chunuk Bair, William Malone, Gallipoli, WW1
Duration: 13'42"

13:40
Actress - Angela Zhou
BODY:
Angela Zhou is a kiwi actress making it big in the states - she's currently working on the hit series Hell on Wheels, playing a Chinese American rail road worker in the fifth and final season of the show. We speak to her after a day on set in Calgary.
Topics: arts
Regions:
Tags: acting, drama
Duration: 8'04"

13:50
Feature Album - Music From the Big Pink
BODY:
The Band's debut album, Music From the Big Pink (1968). Narrated by Geoff Lealand.
Topics: music
Regions:
Tags: The Band
Duration: 16'51"

14:10
John Campbell talks about joining Radio NZ
BODY:
Radio New Zealand has announced that John Campbell will be fronting a new drivetime news show.
EXTENDED BODY:
Radio New Zealand has announced that John Campbell will be fronting a new drivetime news show.
I'm gonna do stuff that matters and, you know, be a journalist.
Our job is to say to the people who are running the country and who are running businesses 'is this good enough?

John joins Noelle McCarthy to talk about his new future.
Related

John Campbell to join Radio NZ
John Campbell joins Radio New Zealand - media release
Final broadcast of Campbell Live
Campbell Live threat exposes seismic change
John Cambell contributes to A History of Student Radio (Parts 1 & 2)

Topics: media
Regions:
Tags: Radio New Zealand, John Campbell
Duration: 9'02"

14:20
Roadmap - Te Aroha
BODY:
Today we are in Te Aroha at the foot of Mount Te Aroha, the highest point in the Kaimai's. A town of about 4,000 souls, 53km northeast of Hamilton and about 50km south of Thames.
EXTENDED BODY:
A virtual trip to the small and perfectly formed Waikato town where the New Zealand Tourism Department was born when Edwardians started arriving "to take the waters'' in 1886.
With Adrian the artist; Arleen the rugby coach; Vicki, Treasurer of the Country Music Committee; and Gloria, who's had a cafe in the old Bank Building on the main street, Whittaker St, for nearly 20 years.
Topics:
Regions: Waikato
Tags: Te Aroha
Duration: 39'38"

15:10
The Expats - Linden Wilkie
BODY:
Linden Wilkie, a wine merchant providing top notch tipples and tastings to the people of Hong Kong.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Hong Kong, wine
Duration: 14'02"

15:25
Masterpieces - Cilla McQueen
BODY:
A New Zealand poet tells us about her favourite piece of poetry. Summer 1967 by James K. Baxter.
Topics: arts
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 6'54"

15:45
The Panel pre-show for 6 August 2015
BODY:
What the world is talking about. With Noelle McCarthy, Jim Mora and Zara Potts.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 12'08"

=SHOW NOTES=

1:10 Song You Have To Hear
Avant Gardener. By Courtney Barrett.
1:15 The future of urban golf courses - Dr Dushko Boganovich
Local council board agrees to look at carving up the Chamberlain Park Golf course in Auckland - a step closer to making it nine holes, instead of 18. With the city's population expanding at a rate of knots, what is the best use for such large swathes of green land in the city?
1:25 Actress - Angela Zhou
Angela Zhou is a kiwi actress making it big in the states - she's currently working on the hit series Hell on Wheels, playing a Chinese American rail road worker in the fifth and final season of the show. We speak to her after a day on set in Calgary.
1:35 Author - Jock Vennell
This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the battle at Chunuk Bair, and perhaps the best known New Zealander to serve at Gallipoli, and fall during that campaign, is Lieutenant Colonel William Malone. Military historian and author, Jock Vennell, is due to launch the first ever biography of Malone.
1:40 Feature Album
The Band's debut album, Music From the Big Pink (1968). Narrated by Geoff Lealand.
2:10 A sigificant announcement from Radio New Zealand
Radio New Zealand has announced that John Campbell will be fronting a new drivetime news show.
2:20 Roadmap - Te Aroha
Today we are in Te Aroha at the foot of Mount Te Aroha, the highest point in the Kaimai's. A town of about 4,000 souls, 53km northeast of Hamilton and about 50km south of Thames.
[gallery:1318]
3:10 The Expats - Linden Wilkie
Linden Wilkie, a wine merchant providing top notch tipples and tastings to the people of Hong Kong.
3:25 Masterpieces - Cilla McQueen
A New Zealand poet tells us about her favourite piece of poetry. Summer 1967 by James K. Baxter.
3:35 Our Changing World
Parks and forest remnants are becoming increasingly important aspects of urban planning, and Kiri Cutting, a PhD student at Waikato University, is trying to work out how cities can improve and better maintain their green areas.
Stories from Our Changing World.
3:45 The Panel Pre-Show
What the world is talking about. With Noelle McCarthy, Jim Mora and Zara Potts.
Music details
ARTIST: Courtney Barrett
TITLE: Avant Gardener
COMP: Barrett
ALBUM: The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas
LABEL: Milk
FEATURE ALBUM: THE BAND
ARTIST: The Band
TITLE: Tears of Rage
COMP: Manuel
ALBUM: Music From the Big Pink
LABEL: Capitol
ARTIST: The Band
TITLE: Long Black Veil
COMP: Danko
ALBUM: Music From the Big Pink
LABEL: Capitol
ARTIST: The Band
TITLE: This Wheel's on Fire
COMP: Danko
ALBUM: Music From the Big Pink
LABEL: Capitol

ROAD MAP SONGS:
ARTIST: Ricky May
TITLE: "Ballin' The Jack"
COMP: Burris, Smith
ALBUM: I Could Have Danced All Night
LABEL: Lagloria
ARTIST: Rob Ruha and Maisey Rika
TITLE: Waiaroha
COMP: Ruha
ALBUM: Pumau
LABEL: Rob Ruha
ARTIST: Jimmy Buffett
TITLE: Margaritaville
COMP: Buffett
ALBUM: Meet Me In Margaritaville
LABEL: MCA
ARTIST: Head Like a Hole
TITLE: A Crying Shame
COMP: Hlah
ALBUM: A Crying Shame EP
LABEL: WILDSIDE
Song at 3.35
ARTIST: Frazey Ford
TITLE: September Fields
COMP: Ford
ALBUM: Indian Ocean
LABEL: Nettwerk

===4:06 PM. | The Panel===
=DESCRIPTION=

An hour of discussion featuring a range of panellists from right along the opinion spectrum (RNZ)

=AUDIO=

15:45
The Panel pre-show for 6 August 2015
BODY:
What the world is talking about. With Noelle McCarthy, Jim Mora and Zara Potts.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 12'08"

16:05
The Panel with Jane Clifton and Beck Eleven (Part 1)
BODY:
Topics - Malaysia officials have announced the wing flaperone found on Reunion Island is from the passenger jet which crashed 17 months ago. Aviation commentator Geoffrey Thomas joins the Panel with his views on the find. The pros and cons of dropping the bomb on Hiroshima 70 years ago. Dunedin barrister Anne Stevens talks to the Panel about the demise of Family Court counselling and the fall-out from that.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 21'42"

16:06
The Panel with Jane Clifton and Beck Eleven (Part 2)
BODY:
Topics - Living in small apartments and houses is becoming more popular. The CEO of the Opotiki District Council Aileen Lawrie talks to the Panel about her districts policy on model aircraft in public parks. Sir Bob Jones won't have to deal with the same pesky air safety procedures now that he has his own jet. The Race Relations Comissioner Dame Susan Devoy fears the Auckland Council risks becoming out of touch with the city's Asian comunity.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 27'34"

16:08
Panel Intro
BODY:
What the Panelists Jane Clifton and Beck Eleven have been up to.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 4'16"

16:14
Wing flap belongs to MH370
BODY:
Malaysia officials have announced the wing flaperone found on Reunion Island is from the passenger jet which crashed 17 months ago. Aviation commentator Geoffrey Thomas joins the Panel with his views on the find.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 7'32"

16:21
Hiroshima
BODY:
The pros and cons of dropping the bomb on Hiroshima 70 years ago. International law expert Al Gillespie of the University of Waikato joins the Panel to talk about the implications which still reverberate.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Hiroshima, atomic bomb
Duration: 7'02"

16:28
Whatever happened to Family Court counselling?
BODY:
Dunedin barrister Anne Stevens talks to the Panel about the demise of Family Court counselling and the fall-out from that.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Family Court counselling
Duration: 2'19"

16:33
Small living spaces
BODY:
Living in small apartments and houses is becoming more popular.
Topics: housing, life and society
Regions:
Tags: small living spaces
Duration: 5'36"

16:38
Panel Says
BODY:
What the Panelists Jane Clifton and Beck Eleven have been thinking about.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 7'14"

16:45
Opotiki's stance on CAA laws
BODY:
The CEO of the Opotiki District Council Aileen Lawrie talks to the Panel about her districts policy on model aircraft in public parks.
Topics:
Regions: Waikato
Tags: model aircraft
Duration: 5'23"

16:51
Bob Jones buys a plane
BODY:
Sir Bob Jones won't have to deal with the same pesky air safety procedures now that he has his own jet.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 4'07"

16:55
Asians don't feel welcome
BODY:
The Race Relations Comissioner Dame Susan Devoy fears the Auckland Council risks becoming out of touch with the city's Asian comunity.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'56"

=SHOW NOTES=

===5:00 PM. | Checkpoint===
=DESCRIPTION=

Radio New Zealand's two-hour news and current affairs programme

=AUDIO=

17:00
Checkpoint Top Stories for Thursday 6 August 2015
BODY:
Police hunt an escaped child rapist, Robertson jailed indefinitely, Gotingco family 'in darkness', Worksafe says lesson to be learnt from port death, Family not happy with Port fine, Auckland teenager LA Tukerangi is found, Lawyer for Blessie Gotingco's killer on jail sentence, Waimate fire survivor describes their escape and Millie Elder-Homes gives harrowing evidence.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 31'38"

17:08
Police hunt an escaped child rapist
BODY:
In breaking news tonight, police are hunting for a convicted child rapist who has removed his GPS bracelet. Daniel Livingstone abducted and raped a 10 year old girl in 2006 and this morning police were notified by Corrections he had tampered with his bracelet.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 7'28"

17:16
Robertson jailed indefinitely, Gotingco family 'in darkness'
BODY:
Tony Douglas Robertson bowed his head below the dock as a High Court judge described his rape and murder of Blessie Gotingco as bestial.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Blessie Gotingco, preventative detention
Duration: 4'10"

17:18
Worksafe says lesson to be learnt from port death
BODY:
The family of a worker who was crushed to death at Lyttelton Port says the punishment handed out is not enough.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Lyttelton Port, Lyttelton Port Company, WorkSafe
Duration: 5'19"

17:21
Family not happy with Port fine
BODY:
The family of a worker who was crushed to death at Lyttelton Port says the punishment handed out to his employer for not keeping him safe is not enough.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Lyttelton Port
Duration: 4'41"

17:25
Auckland teenager LA Tukerangi is found
BODY:
The police say one of the first things Auckland teenager LA Tukerangi did after being found was make an emotional phone call to her family.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: LA Tukerangi
Duration: 3'58"

17:35
Evening Business for 6 August 2015
BODY:
News from the business sector including a market report.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'01"

17:35
The kohanga reo board under pressure
BODY:
The Kohanga Reo Trust board will be governed by just six trustees for a while longer. This week the board announced a new member to replace the ousted Toni Waho but at the eleventh hour the new appointee turned the job down, sending plans to refresh the board's governance back to square one.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Kohanga Reo Trust board
Duration: 3'22"

17:41
Lawyer for Blessie Gotingco's killer on jail sentence
BODY:
Tony Robertson is beginning an indefinite life sentence tonight, but will consider appealing against his conviction and sentence.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: preventative detention, Tony Robertson
Duration: 4'33"

17:46
Waimate fire survivor describes their escape
BODY:
A young woman whose parents and brother died in a house fire in Waimate yesterday says she woke to a noise like a strong wind banging at the bedroom door, but it was her home overtaken by flames.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Waimate fire
Duration: 3'36"

17:50
ERO says nearly half of ECEs fall short
BODY:
The Education Review Office says only half of early childhood education centres are doing a good job with children under the age of three.
Topics: education
Regions:
Tags: Education Review Office, early childhood
Duration: 2'26"

17:53
Health of Te Reo put under the microscope
BODY:
The overall health of the Maori language is about to be put under the microscope. The Māori Language Commission has contracted the New Zealand Council for Educational Research to carry out a major project. 23 researchers will be sent to eight different rohe across Aotearoa to measure the health of te reo Māori in homes and communities.
Topics: education
Regions:
Tags: Education Review Office, early childhood
Duration: 3'02"

17:55
Hunters up in arms about gun safety changes
BODY:
Hunters are up in arms about sudden changes to the country's main gun safety programme.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: firearm safety
Duration: 2'42"

17:58
Millie Elder-Homes gives harrowing evidence
BODY:
The partner of a gang members' son has described the blood gushing from his head as she sat with him, screaming, in his final moments.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Connor Morris
Duration: 2'50"

18:08
Sports News for 6 August 2015
BODY:
An update from the team at RNZ Sport.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'48"

18:12
Police take hours to find child rapist had fled
BODY:
The police have admitted it took them hours and several visits to a child rapist's home to find he had removed his GPS bracelet and fled.
Topics:
Regions: Wellington Region
Tags:
Duration: 2'16"

18:15
Gotingco family friend speaks out
BODY:
Gotingco family friend Alan Wharerau read a victim impact statement on behalf of Blessie Gotingco's husband.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Blessie Gotingco
Duration: 2'59"

18:26
Double lung transplant patient breathing unaided
BODY:
A woman who was born with cyctic fibrosis has started breathing on her own for the first time since receiving a double-lung transplant last Wednesday.
Topics: health
Regions:
Tags: lung transplant, cyctic fibrosis
Duration: 5'20"

18:36
Huntly shuts down
BODY:
The Prime Minister says the forthcoming closure of the last of New Zealand's large-scale coal-fired power stations is unsurprising in light of Government policy on climate change.
Topics: energy
Regions:
Tags: coal-fired power stations, climate change
Duration: 2'57"

18:38
African crime syndicates duping Australians to courier drugs
BODY:
West African crime syndicates are duping dozens of vulnerable Australians to courier drugs through countries that have the death penalty for trafficking.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Africa, Australia, drug trafficking
Duration: 3'53"

18:51
Te Manu Korihi News for 6 August 2015
BODY:
The founder of a group for queer Māori, or takatāpui, says the community is still running into discrimination two years on from marriage equality; Ngāti Kahungunu says the Government is selling its birthright to big businesses if it signs up to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement; The overall health of the Māori language is about to be put under the microscope; A teacher at The Terrace primary school in Alexander is rallying the community to try and get a bilingual playgroup off the ground.
Topics: te ao Maori
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'33"

18:55
Opunake swamped by incessant rain
BODY:
The Taranaki town of Opunake is starting to clean up after incessant overnight rain left some thirty houses flooded, with at least three people having to be evacuated.
Topics:
Regions: Taranaki
Tags: Opunake, flooding
Duration: 2'41"

=SHOW NOTES=

===7:06 PM. | Nights===
=DESCRIPTION=

Entertainment and information, including: 7:30 At the Movies with Simon Morris: Current film releases and film related topics (RNZ) 8:13 Windows on the World: International public radio features and documentaries 9:06 Our Changing World: Science and environment news from NZ and the world (RNZ)

=AUDIO=

19:12
The source of diamonds
BODY:
The exact source of a diamond-bearing rock has been found - with A.Prof Marco Fiorentini, School of Earth and Environment from the University of Western Australia.
Topics: science
Regions:
Tags: geology, diamonds.
Duration: 21'45"

20:42
Electronic Music
BODY:
The evolution of music made with devices powered by electricity and/or computers, with Paul Berrington aka DJ B-Lo. When electronic music changed from purely experimental stuff to more groove orientated material and widespread use.
Topics: music, history, technology
Regions:
Tags: electronic music, Isao Tomita, Ataraxia, Ashra, Kraftwerk, Georgio Moroder.
Duration: 22'36"

20:59
Conundrum Clue 7.
BODY:
Listen in on Friday night for the answer.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 22"

21:59
Conundrum Clue 8.
BODY:
Listen in tomorrow night for the answer
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 23"

=SHOW NOTES=

7:10 The source of diamonds
The exact source of a diamond-bearing rock has been found – with A.Prof Marco Fiorentini, School of Earth and Environment from the University of Western Australia.
7:30 At the Movies

=SHOW NOTES=

Mission Impossible Rogue Nation - Directed by Christopher McQuarry, starring Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin
[video] https://youtu.be/qAtjINH168w
Irrational Man - Directed by Woody Allen, starring Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix
[video] https://youtu.be/ymtRxSGqOc8
Les Combattants (Love at first fight) - Directed by Thomas Cailley, winner of Best First Film at the French Cesar Awards.
[video] https://youtu.be/GZmvrHLqIts

=AUDIO=

19:30
At The Movies: Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Irrational Man, Les Combattants
BODY:
Simon Morris goes to the latest Mission Impossible blockbuster, Rogue Nation, starring Tom Cruise, and yet another Woody Allen film, Irrational Man. The surprise winner though is a little French film called Les Combattants.
EXTENDED BODY:

Simon Morris goes to the latest Mission Impossible blockbuster, Rogue Nation, starring Tom Cruise, and yet another Woody Allen film, Irrational Man. The surprise winner though is a little French film called Les Combattants.
The Big Picture with Simon Morris
Surely I can’t get into too much trouble if I suggest that people’s tastes differ. One interesting division is between fans of fact and fiction. Some of my best friends don’t read fiction at all. If it’s not true, they say, why bother? Personally I like my truth filtered through imaginative fiction, but that’s just me. Though it does raise the question, what actually is a story?
Hollywood – particularly the Blockbuster Departments of Hollywood studios – still has a touching faith in the concept of stringing one thing after another, and then slapping a star at the front. More of Mission Impossible later.
Meanwhile Woody Allen continues his hit-or-miss career in a story with a big theme – in this case the shortcomings of academic philosophy. But Irrational Man proves once again that Woody films only work when the characters are more interesting than the high concept.
Good stories don’t have to be especially complicated or event-driven. Sometimes they’re simply about a couple of attractive characters blundering from Point A to Point B. Like an unpretentious little French charmer called Les combatants – written, directed and starring, nobody you’ve ever heard of. At the other end of the spectrum is the latest Mission Impossible…
Topics: arts
Regions:
Tags: film, film review, Mission Impossible, Irrational Man, Les Combattants
Duration: 23'27"

19:31
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - film review
BODY:
Simon Morris goes to the latest Mission Impossible blockbuster, Rogue Nation, starring Tom Cruise. Break out the foghorns…
EXTENDED BODY:
Mission Impossible Rogue Nation - Directed by Christopher McQuarry, starring Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin
Simon Morris goes to the latest Mission Impossible blockbuster, Rogue Nation, starring Tom Cruise. Break out the foghorns.
All the publicity about the fifth Mission Impossible – subtitled Rogue Nation – is about how the star still insists on doing most of his own death-defying stunts, and how Tom Cruise, now well into his 50s, continues to dazzle us with his physical prowess. Rather less of the publicity is devoted to how well the script hangs together, and the fascinating complexity of the characters.
Last week I complained about a film whose plot fell to pieces after half an hour – the famous “oh come on!” moment. This film – like most Mission Impossible films – is almost entirely made up of “oh come on!” moments. This isn’t a plot, it’s an Old Curiosity Shop of plot bits and mind-blowing stunts. When the defining characteristic of the star is he can do anything, and the backup cast’s role is limited to being amazed by him, there’s really not a lot of suspense.
I concede there’s some minor curiosity at how Mission Impossible Rogue Nation will rationalise each impossible event. There’s one moment early on where Tom Cruise is chained and handcuffed in a dungeon, surrounded by armed goons. And literally, “with one bound he’s free”. Oh, come on!

Topics: arts
Regions:
Tags: film, film review, Mission Impossible, Tom Cruise
Duration: 6'36"

19:40
Irrational Man - film review
BODY:
Simon Morris reviews yet another Woody Allen film, Irrational Man, to find out what happens when a neurotic Woody Allen hero suddenly cheers up?
EXTENDED BODY:
Irrational Man - Directed by Woody Allen, starring Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix
Simon Morris reviews yet another Woody Allen film, Irrational Man, to find out what happens when a neurotic Woody Allen hero suddenly cheers up?
If there’s one writer-director you’d be crazy to bet on, it’s Woody Allen. He’s made over 50 movies now – about one a year – and his track-record is alarmingly unpredictable. It could be great – like the recent Midnight in Paris and Blue Jasmine. It could be awful – anyone remember Scoop or Hollywood ending? Or it could simply be extremely ordinary, like his last film, Magic in the Moonlight, and this week’s Irrational Man.
It’s tempting to blame Emma Stone - the star of those two movies and Woody Allen’s latest young, beautiful muse – but a bit unfair. Emma’s the best thing in Irrational man, playing that familiar Woody character - the young, would-be intellectual young woman, falling under the spell of an older man.
The older man is played by Joaquin Phoenix as burnt-out philosophy teacher Abe Lucas. Abe’s got a bad-boy reputation, but he’s also suffering from existential angst. No wonder all the ladies are champing at the bit, we’re told.
Now Woody has been here before. In his good films, the characters take over and guide the plot into new and unexpected directions. In Irrational man, Woody Allen seems content to kick around the basic argument. Can you be satisfied by simply thinking a problem to death, or is it better to do something to break out of your intellectual funk?
Finally Woody adds the element of chance into the mix. Suddenly Irrational Man switches from a Philosophy 101 lecture to a sort of comedy crime caper, which is hardly an improvement.
If the underlying idea were remotely fresh and interesting, it might be tempting to go with it. And if the hard-working actors were given more to work with, we might at least have something to distract us. But it isn’t, and they aren’t. Irrational man is simply Woody vamping, and it suffers from the one unforgivable sin a story can have – a rotten ending.
I’d say, save your money for Woody Allen’s next film – he’s just about due a good one.
Topics: arts
Regions:
Tags: film, film review, Woody Allen, Irrational Man
Duration: 5'31"

19:50
Les Combattants - film review
BODY:
Simon Morris finds a surprise winner in this small French film called Les Combattants (Love at first fight), in which two people fall in love after she beats him up.
EXTENDED BODY:
Les Combattants (Love at First Fight) - Directed by Thomas Cailley, winner of Best First Film at the French Cesar Awards.
Simon Morris finds a surprise winner in this small French film called Les Combattants (Love at first fight), in which two people fall in love after she beats him up.
I’d not heard of Les Combattants when it arrived unheralded at my local art-house. But the film’s got a solid track-record, at both the French Cesars, where it picked up a number of awards, and at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. Justifiably, it turns out.
Les Combatants was written and directed by a first-timer called Thomas Cailley, and stars newcomers Kevin Azais and Adele Haenel. Kevin plays Arnaud, a nice young chap who’s being reluctantly pushed into joining the family carpentry business. He’s got no other plans, which is why he’s loafing on the beach, where some army recruiters invite him to show off his self-defence skills.
Arnaud is shocked to discover he’s matched against a woman – imposing riot-girl Madeleine, played by Adele. He protests he doesn’t fight women, only to be unceremoniously upended by her, to the amusement of his friends. Madeleine is convinced the world is coming to an abrupt end, sooner rather than later, and so she’s decided to prepare for it.
It’s the old “opposites don’t attract” scenario at the start. Arnaud becomes besotted with Madeleine, but thinks she could lighten up, or at least give him a smile occasionally. Madeleine doesn’t think Arnaud is treating the coming apocalypse seriously enough.
Les combatants is part road-movie, part quirky romantic comedy, and part something else and very French. I’ve heard it described as “outlaw”. It certainly breaks the rules of this kind of story. The aims of both characters shift and change throughout the film, and the climax when it comes is genuinely unexpected.
Can the two find each other before the end of the world? Or will they simply drive each other nuts? The answers may not exactly surprise you, but Les Combatants is eminently satisfying and delightful.
Topics: arts
Regions:
Tags: film, film review, French, Les Combattants
Duration: 5'18"

7:30 At the Movies
Films and movie business with Simon Morris.
8:10 Windows on the World
International public radio documentaries - visit the Windows on the World web page to find links to these documentaries.
8:40 Electronic Music
The evolution of music made with devices powered by electricity and/or computers, with Paul Berrington aka DJ B-Lo. When electronic music changed from purely experimental stuff to more groove orientated material and widespread use.
9:06 Our Changing World

=SHOW NOTES=

=AUDIO=

21:06
Testing Volcanic Ballistics with a Cannon and Catapult
BODY:
Geologists are using a cannon, a trebuchet and silly putty wrapped in condoms to investigate volcanic ballistics and better understand volcanic eruptions
EXTENDED BODY:
By Alison Ballance
In a world-first, geologists are using a medieval siege catapult, or trebuchet, to hurl projectiles made from silly putty wrapped in condoms. The comic sounding experiment is part of a serious project gathering information on the behaviour of volcanic ballistics that will be used to improve New Zealand’s volcanic hazard modelling.
“We want to simulate the passage of volcanic bombs as they fly out of volcanoes, to see how they change shape as they fly through the air. Does it fly through the air like a cowpat? Or does it splat on the ground like a cowpat? Our hypothesis is that the volcanic bombs may be becoming cowpat shaped, like a discus, as they fly through the air. And that affects how far they fly, it affects their drag, which are all very important parameters in eruption models.”
Ben Kennedy, geologist, University of Canterbury.

The video shows a rubber ball filled with sand as it is fired from the trebuchet, arcs up through the air and lands about 80 metres away
On 6 August 2012, a phreatic (gas and steam driven) eruption took place at the Upper Te Maari Crater on Mount Tongarairo, in the central North Island. The Te Maari crater had erupted a few times between 1855 and 1897, and was then inactive until August and November 2012. During the August 2012 eruption volcanic ash and thousands of blocks and lava bombs were fired out of the volcano, and the damage from the ballistics covered an area of 6 square kilometres. Several blocks went through the roof of the Ketetahi Hut, which was fortunately unoccupied. As the eruption occurred during bad weather in the middle of the night there were luckily no people walking the popular Tongariro crossing.
In November 2012, Upper Te Maari Crater on Mount Tongariro had a short eruption which spread ash and ballistics around the crater. A more damaging eruption in August 2012 covered a much larger area
For her Master’s degree PhD student Rebecca Fitzgerald carried out an assessment of ballistic hazard and risk from the Upper Te Maari crater eruption. She used aerial photographs to identify 3,587 impact craters with a mean diameter of 2.4 metres, but when she combined this information with ground surveys, which allowed her to find much smaller impact craters, she estimated that approximately 13,200 ballistic projectiles had been thrown out during the eruption at an average speed of 200 metres per second. She also modelled the risk of serious injury or death to walkers along the Tongariro alpine crossing during this size eruption, and found that in some places on the track the probability of death was 16%. Her modelling also showed that a larger eruption had a much higher – up to 100% - risk of death.
Rebecca is building on her Master’s research for her PhD, and will be travelling to Japan to map ballistics from the September 2014 Mount Ontake eruption in which 57 people were killed. She says “I’ll also be doing more numerical modelling as this will allow us to look at future eruption scenarios.” This work will include identifying potential ballistic hazard zones in the Auckland volcanic zone.
Testing the Trebuchet
During the test run, the team had two missiles to test with the trebuchet. One was a rubber gym ball filled with sand, and the other was “a more realistic analogue material,” according to Ben, “which is silly putty wrapped in a condom. Silly putty has similar properties to magma in that its visco-elastic. Everyone know that silly putty bounces if you throw it on the floor but if you leave it there it’ll just spread out slowly. Hopefully it’ll represent the behaviour in flight of volcanic bombs, which are also visco-elastic.”
Ben says depending on the type of volcano and the type of eruption, a range of projectiles ranging in viscosity or stickiness from “snot dribbles’ to solid blocks several metres in size can be thrown out. Future plans for the trebuchet include doing a systematic study of viscosity in different sizes and under different conditions.
Firing the Cannon
As well as the trebuchet, the team are running a second set of experiments using a vertical cannon that fires rocks down towards the ground. The cannon has been made out of a piece of old drilling pipe. It works using pressure created by compressed air, and is capable of firing rocks weighing up to 8-10 kg at 100 metres per second. In a real eruption rocks can be blasted out of the vent faster than the speed of sound, at 400 metres per second. They then slow down as they travel, but can speed up again as they begin to fall, which makes ballistic modelling very complex.
Rebecca plans to use the cannon to build a relationship between the size of the ballistic, the speed it is fired at, the size of crater it creates and whether it fires out any shrapnel. She will be able to relate this information to craters she has mapped in the field.
Masters student George Williams is using the cannon to fire rocks against common roofing materials such as corrugated iron. He has collected various roof and wall materials from demolished buildings in Christchurch, and explains that “what we’re doing is calculating the impact energy required to cause different amounts of damage to different building materials. We’ll be testing, for example, whether a small rock moving fast is able to puncture through more than one that’s moving with the same energy but is big and slow. We’ll also be using silly putty.” The team are particularly interested in reinforced concrete, which is the material that volcanic shelters are built from, and say that this is the first time work like this has been carried out.
The pneumatic cannon is powered by compressed air, and the three tonnes of water in the large plastic tanks are to prevent it from taking off as it fires. The first rock is fired out at about 30 kilometres per hour while the second is at about 70 km/hr - these speeds are much slower than occurs during a real volcanic eruption
What To Do During An Eruption
What’s the best advice if you’re caught in an eruption that is firing out ballistics? Rebecca says that all the evidence to date from eruptions like Mount Ontake in Japan is that most people are killed from injuries sustained to their backs and necks as they run away.
“You want to make sure you watch where the ballistics are coming from and move away from that area,” says Rebecca.
Ben stresses that you should seek shelter if you can. “I had a conversation with the military recently, and their advice was that if there are lots of objects falling around you make yourself as small as possible, and try and shelter behind a large block or something solid.”
If there are fewer objects falling then Ben advices keeping an eye on the sky, and watching individual objects that seem to be falling towards you so you can step out of the way as it lands.
“We call it an auk step. There’s a bit in Lord of the Rings where there’s a big bit of concrete coming at an auk and he just moves to the side,” says Rebecca.

In this video, shot by Alistair Davies, the trebuchet is in the far distance, in the corner of the field. The trebuchet fires and then about 18 seconds into the video you can see a small dot appear which is the sand ball rising against the blue sky and then the white cloud before beginning to fall, then bounce and roll across the grass after it lands.
Our Changing World has previously featured stories on the Taupo Volcanic Zone and volcanic hazard planning:
Harry Keys from DoC looks after the lahar eruption detection system on Mount Ruapehu
Massey University have a volcanic eruption simulator
Brad Scott from GNS explains the new, simplified volcanic hazard alert system
GNS volcanologist Gill Jolly explains how data from a volcano monitoring network help forecast volcanic activity
And Brad Scott takes Alison Ballance around the Waimangu Valley near Rotorua, which is one of a number of volcanic monitoring sites in the Taupo Volcanic Zone
Topics: environment, science
Regions:
Tags: Taupo Volcanic zone, volcanic eruption, pneumatic cannon, trebuchet, siege catapult, ballistics testing, Volcanic hazard
Duration: 23'36"

21:34
Making Urban Bushland Better
BODY:
New Plymouth has more pockets of urban bush than any other NZ city, and ecologists study them to improve the success of ecological restorations
EXTENDED BODY:
Parks and forest remnants are becoming increasingly important aspects of urban planning, and Kiri Cutting, a PhD student at Waikato University, is interested in working out how cities can improve and better maintain their green areas.
Kiri chose three different sites in New Plymouth, New Zealand’s greenest city, which still has fragments of original native forest within its urban landscape. The study sites include such forest remnants as well as parklands that have been restored and replanted with native plants, both of which she finds off the Huatoki walkway. At the Glenpark Avenue Reserve, she studies an area that has been left to regenerate by itself and is dominated by exotic plane trees.
She says she is interested in studying the ecological complexities of urban forest fragments that have never been degraded and to figure out how to make urban restoration projects more successful. To get an idea of the ecology of each site, Kiri has been measuring soil moisture, air temperature and humidity, and how much leaf litter accumulates on the ground.
“Leaf litter is immensely important in the life of a forest. It forms an insulating blanket on the ground, allows native plants to regenerate, and if seeds drop into it, they germinate and are protected.

Kiri says she’s been finding that “in sites where restoration plantings are very young, and the sites are very open and the plants aren’t very big yet, there’s hardly any leaf litter and regeneration of native plants takes a little longer because there’s no nice nursery for the seeds to germinate in”.
All the data is compiled into a modelling equation which relates the different parameters to each other. “Eventually this becomes applied when we can say things and make predictions about these sites that allow us to manage them better.”
The data gathered at the New Plymouth sites provide a benchmark in comparison with other sites from Hamilton, which has fewer green urban spaces. “The two cities are far apart on the spectrum of forest cover. Hamilton has 2.5 per cent of its original forest left, New Plymouth has 8.5 per cent, so that is an interesting comparison for this study because connectivity [between park areas] is really important. Connectivity can change the dynamics and affect the restoration success.”
The first results from the study show a clear connection between the age of a site and the density of the canopy.
As trees grow, the crowns close in and produce the canopy roof – and that prevents sunlight from getting to the forest floor and keeps weeds out. We’re finding that it takes 15 to 20 years for that to happen, but then weed control can be reduced.

Kiri says urban tress have many benefits. “They clean our water and air, they reduce noise pollution and abate flooding, and they help reduce stress.”
Topics: science, environment
Regions: Taranaki
Tags: urban parks, native forest, restoration ecology, ecosystem services
Duration: 16'55"

21:46
How Nature is Good for our Well-being
BODY:
Environmental scientist Lin Roberts argues that nature's ecosystem services are good for our well-being as well as the planet
EXTENDED BODY:
By Alison Ballance
What makes us happy? Environmental scientist Lin Roberts and colleagues argue in a new report that nature is a key factor in our happiness, and that ecosystem services delivered by indigenous biodiversity and natural ecosystems contribute in a wide variety of ways to the wellbeing of New Zealand and New Zealanders.
“The ecosystem services idea was developed as a way to communicate to people what we get from nature, and how dependant we are on it. Because many of us living in cities forget how much we use and rely on nature to provide us things like air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat. [They] also provide all sorts of other benefits like flood protection, water and air purification, pollination.”
Lin Roberts, Lincoln University

The explosion of research into wellbeing has come about because, Lin says there is a “recognition that our economic wellbeing has been increasing steadily, GDP has been growing, incomes have been growing – but people are not getting any happier in developed countries.”
The report was commissioned by the Department of Conservation and is called ‘The nature of wellbeing: how nature’s ecosystem services contribute to the wellbeing of New Zealand and New Zealanders’. It uses a framework developed by Chilean Max-Neef who recognised that all people have the same basic nine needs, which he called satisfiers: subsistence, protection, affection, understanding, participation, creativity, identity, freedom and leisure. Lin says that different people satisfy these needs in different ways and it is not necessarily through consumer goods.
“Our need for affection will usually be satisfied through close relationships with other people. Or our need for leisure could be just spending time reading a book, lying in the sand.”

Lin says the report aims to encourage people to think about how they’re living, and how it impacts both on themselves and on the planet.
“Thinking more about how we satisfy our needs and what are the best types of satisfiers gives you an opening to explore some of the ways we might satisfy our needs without actually getting much wellbeing return and at the same time damaging the systems we rely on.”
To quote the report, ‘if we can become better at identifying and choosing high-happiness-return/low-impact consumption over high-impact/low-happiness-return consumption, we will not only improve our own wellbeing and that of supporting ecosystems, but will also enhance the opportunity for our grandchildren and others on the planet to meet their basic needs and enjoy “the good life”.’
The Valuing Nature conference, held in Wellington in 2013, discussed ecosystem services and the links between economy and the environment. Lin Roberts was one of the panellists, and Pavan Sukdevh presented a talk on TEEB, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity.
Topics: science, environment
Regions:
Tags: well-being, nature, ecosystem services, native forest
Duration: 15'49"

9:06 Our Changing World
Science and environment news from New Zealand and the world.
10:17 Late Edition
A review of the leading news from Morning Report, Nine to Noon, Afternoons and Checkpoint. Also hear the latest news from around the Pacific on Radio New Zealand International's Dateline Pacific.
11:06 Music 101 pocket edition
A contemporary music magazine with interviews and music from New Zealand and overseas artists, coverage of new releases, tours, live sessions, music festivals and events.

===10:00 PM. | Late Edition===
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Radio New Zealand news, including Dateline Pacific and the day's best interviews from Radio New Zealand National

===11:06 PM. | Music 101===
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Music, interviews, live performances, behind the scenes, industry issues, career profiles, new, back catalogue, undiscovered, greatest hits, tall tales - with a focus on NZ (RNZ)