Country Life

Country Life checks in with the Electoral Commission about rural voting enrolments and turnout, gets stuck into a spring tidy of Gianina's garden, and visits pubs around the lower South Island to learn what makes a publican.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

In this episode:

• 0:58 - Rural News Wrap
• 6:38 - The state of the rural vote
• 14:23 - Garden Diaries: Spring has sprung (for the original story, see here)
• 29:55 - A conversation with Country Pubs

With thanks to:

• Karl Le Quesne
• Hannah Zwartz
• Keith Fenwick, Donna Hall, Jim McDougall, Pravesh and Monika Kumar

Make sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.

Send us your feedback or get in touch at [email protected]

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

How are pubs across the central South Island faring in 2026 - and what do their futures look like?

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

With thanks to:

• Keith Fenwick, Donna Hall, Jim McDougall, Pravesh and Monika Kumar

Make sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.

Want to chat to us or find out more about RNZ Podcasts? Join the RNZ Podcasts Discussion Facebook group where we share behind the scenes info about our series, and invite you to share feedback, recommendations and ask us questions.

Send us your feedback or get in touch at [email protected]

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The warmer weather means it's time to turn my attention back to the garden, bringing in the crops ready for harvest and preparing my seedlings for the coming season too.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

You can find our first diary entry and details of the garden set up, here.

With thanks to:

• Hannah Zwartz

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Electoral Commision chief executive Karl Le Quesne chats about rural voters, and how they can turn out to the polls in October.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

With thanks to:

• Karl Le Quesne

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A wrap of news from RNZ's rural newsdesk.

You can find more from RNZ's rural news team, here.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Country Life meets a New Zealander looking after rescue bears in rural Germany and visits an orchid farm in Taranaki.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

In this episode:

• 0:58 - Rural News Wrap
• 8:25 - The Kiwi among bears in Bavaria
• 16:32 - From the Archives: Striding out on Te Aratipi Station
• 35:25 - An Eye for an Orchid

With thanks to:

• John Pickard
• Ro, Ed, Selby and Harry Palmer, Te Aratipi Station (for the original story, see here)
• Eric Lander, Wendy Holt, and Chris Garrett

Make sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.

Send us your feedback or get in touch at [email protected]

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Eric Lander has grown cymbidium orchids for nearly half a century. His blooms can be found in vases from Dubai to New York, carefully bred and nurtured from large greenhouses on an old sheep and dairy farm in the lee of Mt Taranaki.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

With thanks to:

• Eric Lander, Wendy Holt, and Chris Garrett

Make sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.

Want to chat to us or find out more about RNZ Podcasts? Join the RNZ Podcasts Discussion Facebook group where we share behind the scenes info about our series, and invite you to share feedback, recommendations and ask us questions.

Send us your feedback or get in touch at [email protected]

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Set on the coast of Hawke's Bay, Te Aratipi Station offers walkers on the farm views across the bay, from the Māhia Peninsula right around to Mt Ruapehu on a clear day.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

For the original story, look here.

You can find more about Te Aratipi Station, and their new venture The Bush Table, here.

With thanks to:

• Ro, Ed, Selby and Harry Palmer

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

John Pickard chats to Country Life from the German countryside where the New Zealander has an unusual job helping rescued bears learn to hibernate and regain some of their freedom.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

With thanks to:

• John Pickard

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A wrap of news from RNZ's rural newsdesk.

You can find more from RNZ's rural news team, here.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details