One of the big lessons that I’ve learnt during this pandemic – but especially this year – is that most of the pandemic predictions are too gloomy. 

Look at the GDP numbers out today; a contraction of 3.7% in the economy. 

Granted, that’s bad. That’s...

Plans to begin re-opening our border from next month could be at risk. 

New Zealand citizens and residents in Australia are set to be able to travel here and isolate at home from January 17, skipping MIQ. 

Covid-19 modeller Rodney Jones told Heather...

New South Wales has recorded an all-time record of 1,742 Covid-19 cases today.  

The state's been warned it could see 25-thousand cases a day by the end of the month.  

International Correspondent Murray Olds told Heather du Plessis Allan it's been a...

You'll remember at the start of November Linda called in, she was trying to cross the border, desperate to see her daughter who had two major surgeries with major complications. 

She and her husband were fully vaccinated, both had negative covid tests...

A leading light in our international tourism industry remarked to me the other day, Mike, our industry has officially sunk into a state of depression. I alluded to this yesterday, with the Air New Zealand chief. 

Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has sunk...

I come to the programme this morning with a feeling of hope after seeing something yesterday that I haven't seen in well over a year. 

Backpackers. 

A group of four of them, in their 20s, walking the Te Araroa trail together. 

All three thousand...

The Health Minister is pleading for patience when it comes to hospital funding.  

Hospitals will receive more than half a billion dollars in extra funding from the Government. 

This will add 75 standard inpatient beds and convert 355 beds into...

A health expert says rural hospitals have been left off Andrew Little's Christmas list.  

The Government is giving hospitals more than half a billion dollars for upgrades and to help them support more Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients.  

The Rural GP...

The borders are open and the first passengers arrived at Wellington Airport this morning. Newstalk ZB reporter Nick James was there as flights touched down and told Nick Mill about some of the emotional reunions. 

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Air New Zealand is expecting a bumper summer. 

The airline says 12 thousand people will travel in and out of Auckland on its flights today, with the city's borders now open. 

Chief executive Greg Foran says they're operating nearly a third higher than...