Holiday Breakfast

Next stop on our Summer road trip around New Zealand is the beautiful Southland District.

We're heading to the mecca of Southland, Invercargill, this time tomorrow.

But first what does the whole of Southland have to offer?

Southland District Mayor Rob Scott joined Tim Dower.

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We have another New Zealand business superstar.

Brianne West’s beauty and lifestyle company Ethique is on a roll, to put it mildly.

They have eliminated more than 25 million plastic containers worldwide, creating concentrated beauty bars that are good for the planet and the user.

Brianne's been featured in Forbes, has a fan in Britney Spears and is even immortalised as a Barbie doll.

Brianne West joined Tim Dower.

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A drug being sold as LSD turns out to contain a potent designer drug known as 25B-NBOH.

It's a fairly new psychedelic substance, so little is known about it, but similar substances have been linked to hospitalisations and deaths.

The Drug Foundation wants potential users to be wary and Executive Director Sarah Helm joined Tim Dower.

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This one takes the biscuit.

The New Zealand delicacy Cookie Time has found a receptive new market in Japan.

Just two days after the product hit Costco shelves there, an immediate re-order came in for four times the original amount.

Exports are the big goal for the company this year, with a target of growing from 14 markets now, to 25.

Managing Director Guy Pope-Mayell joined Tim Dower.

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The political year is off to a strange start.

Labour and National MPs are gathering in Napier this morning, for their party's annual caucus retreats.

National could use the retreat to announce a caucus reshuffle, while Labour is due to make an announcement about election policy.

Political Editor Jason Walls told Tim Dower having both parties meeting in the same city, on the same days, is completely unheard of.

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Rescuers are continuing the search for a missing person, involved in a fatal water incident in the Coromandel on Wednesday.

One person died at Opoutere Beach, a teenage boy is in a critical condition and four others sustained moderate to minor injuries.

Emergency services, including three rescue helicopters, were sent to the scene just before 11.30am.

Water Safety New Zealand ambassador, Rob Hewitt told Tim Dower a significant number of our drownings are older-men over-estimating their abilities, some not wearing life-jackets while boating.

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A tech training company is so sure of the quality of its courses, its offering a full refund to graduates who don't get a job within a year of finishing.

Mission Ready says it has an 83 percent job placement success rate.

Co-founder Diana Sharma joined Tim Dower.

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He's dubbed himself the People's Princess of New Zealand.

Comedian Chris Parker had a hugely successful 2022, where he sold out his comedy tour and brought out his first book "Here for a Good Time".

And he has another tour for this year - "Lots of Love" is on the road in May and June.

Chris Parker joined Tim Dower.

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Our Summer road trip is nearing its final stop, rolling this morning into Dunedin, with its beautiful architecture, the Speight's brewery in the city, and the stunning Otago Peninsula. 

Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich joined Tim Dower.

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New Zealanders don't seem to be able to get off their phones, even when they're behind the wheel.

A police operation in Central Wellington has caught 51 drivers using their mobiles in just a two-hour window.

AA Road Safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen says using phones while driving is a high-risk behaviour.

He told Tim Dower it takes a lot more attention and focus than things like adjusting the radio, and can increase the risk of a crash by about four times.

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