Holiday Breakfast

Brothers-in-law Daniel McLaughlin and Mark Neal have been running Scapegrace for around ten years.

They established the brand in 2014, and in the last financial year they sold more than 100,000 cases of product.

They're now in the final stages of building New Zealand's largest distillery, and are making a push from gin into single malt whiskey.

McLaughlin told Tim Dower that the brand began when they noticed that the country was underrepresented on the world stage when it came to spirits. 

When they walked into liquor stores, he said, there wasn't anything that spoke to them as 30 year old gin and spirit drinkers.

"We thought we could, we could shake that up a bit."

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The Upper Hutt mayor says they've been let down as water usage is set to tighten.

The Wellington metropolitan area —that's Wellington, Porirua, Hutt and Upper Hutt cities— will move to level two water restrictions first thing Wednesday.

The ban applies to all irrigation systems, soaker hoses, and unattended watering systems.

Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy told Tim Dower that they've been talking about a solution for 15 years.

He says with their population growth, the region knew they needed to be looking for another source, which had already been planned, but it didn't eventuate.

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The Black Caps are taking on Pakistan. 

The first T20 clash for the team is this evening at Eden Park, the game kicking off at 7:10pm. 

Coach Gary Stead told Tim Dower that Pakistan is always a formidable opponent, and a great foe to play against. 

He said that the team is pretty close to full strength for this game, with about twelve or thirteen games to work out the team makeup for the World Cup. 

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Australia’s Opposition leader has taken up arms against Woolworths. 

The chain supermarket has decided not to sell Australia Day merchandise this year, citing a significant decline in demand. 

Australia Correspondent Murray Olds told Tim Dower that Peter Dutton has called for Australians to boycott Woolworths, demanding they reverse the decision. 

According to Dutton, “until we get common sense from a public company like Woolworths, we should take our business elsewhere.” 

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Wellington Water says it's focused on fixing the city's massive water leaks before it'll address supply. 

The metropolitan area will move to level 2 water restrictions on Wednesday. 

It means garden sprinklers are banned in the cities of Wellington, Porirua, Hutt, and Upper Hutt. 

Wellington Water's Charles Barker says heaps of the water already available is being lost. 

Barker says they're losing 44% of the water they're putting into the pipes at the moment. 

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Health warnings over potentially toxic algae in Lake Rotorua will likely last weeks.  

It can be harmful for people and animals.  

People should avoid contact with water if it looks discoloured, smells unusual, has green or brown particles or scum, or leathery algae mats floating or on the lake floor. 

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell told Tim Dower that it's brought on by the hot temperatures.  

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Many questions for the owners of a blueberry orchard in Hawke's Bay after around 700 bushes were stripped by thieves.

Hastings-based Bay Blueberries —hard hit by Cyclone Gabrielle in February— has had hundreds of kilograms of berries stolen from its premises on Railway Road South.

It's believed to have happened in the middle of the night between January 1st and 4th.

Owner Marian Hirst told Tim Dower that the berries they picked are a mix of ripe and unripe meaning they'll be ghastly to eat.

She says they've all lost, from their pickers through to their foreman because they were all ready to pick and work.

Hirst says the ripple through the business has been considerable.

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Warm weather conditions are here to stay for the day ahead of a rainy weekend. 

Most of the country will see temperatures in the mid to high 20s today. 

Canterbury was a scorcher yesterday, with the mercury reaching above 30 degrees. 

MetService Meteorologist Mark Todd told Tim Dower that today will remain warm, though coasts will get some cooler air. 

He says the hottest temperatures today will be around Central Otago and the Southern Lakes, at around 30 degrees with very little rain. 

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A heated face-off last night between those vying to be the Republican nominee for US President. 

Florida's Ron DeSantis and South Carolina's Nikki Haley have clashed, days ahead of the Iowa caucus where registered Republicans will pick their favourite. 

Trump did not attend the debate despite qualifying, though his record was attacked from DeSantis and Haley. 

Correspondent Richard Arnold told Tim Dower the Iowa caucus is set for Tuesday, NZ time. 

He says Trump is polling 43% ahead of Haley in that state. 

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Comedian Tom Sainsbury has broken onto the big screen, writing, directing, and starring in his debut feature film 'Loop Track.'

The psychological-horror film reframes the scenes of New Zealand's picturesque tramping tracks.

He told Tim Dower that content wise, it's a deliberate, but not calculated, departure from his usual comedy.

"I love comedy so much, but my kind of heart lies in dramatic and kind of, you know, exciting, thrilling acting." 

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