Morning Report

We were touched when Nelson reporter, Tracy Neal, sent us this story about a 24-year old sheep, Busby, living in sunny Nelson.

His owners said he needed company and oodles of fresh fruits to stay happy.

While all that fruit would make him quite delicious, he's apparently safe from the dinner table this Christmas and forever.

The Northland DHB says lollies, chippies and high sugar products should have to come in plain packs like cigarettes.

Its one measure in a health policy it helps will influence the region and the country, cutting rates of obesity and tooth decay.

But a Kiwi-owned lolly company says treating lollies like cigarettes is ridiculous and impractical.

Brent Baillie - the general manager of Rainbow Confectionery which invented the Pineapple Chunk - told reporter Rowan Quinn its not fair to tar lollies with the same brush as cigarettes.

We found out they do things a little differently in Taranaki earlier in 2019.

Especially on the Forgotten Highway where becoming the president of the Republic of Whangamomona doesn't require candidates to be human.

Over the years they've elected a goat, as well as a dog.

This year Eunice the Sheep was also in the running but incumbent president John Herlihy thought he had the measure of her.

Mr Herlihy was returned as president for a second term.

Eunice was a no-show but mutton sandwiches were on sale at the barbecue.

An afternoon at the beach is a quintessential past time for the perfect Kiwiana Christmas.

But depending where you are this festive season, will depend if that dip will give you a very unwanted Christmas present.

Charlie Dreaver reports.

Raw sewage is still flowing into Wellington Harbour - and people are being told to stay well away from the water.

Parts of Willis, Ghuznee and Vivian streets are being closed to traffic because of the burst pipe in the central city - and disrupting local businesses.

Wellington Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Milford told our reporter Jordan Bond it's been unfortunate, but Wellington Water swung into action quickly.

After the mosque attacks in Christchurch this year, many were asking which agencies should have been keeping New Zealanders safe from extremism. Were there plans and strategies in place to identify risk and keep danger out? In an Insight programme earlier this year, in the aftermath of the terror attack, Phil Pennington tried to get answers to these questions.

A Northland father is unhappy that a university is charging students extra if they cannot afford to pay their hostel fees up front.

The man, who has asked not to be named, says AUT's $500 fee is a tax on the less well off.

The man told our education correspondent, John Gerritsen, he discovered the charge when he was helping with his daughter's hostel application.

New Zealand golfer Michael Hendry battled through the pain of a rib injury before falling just short of winning the Australian PGA championship on the Gold Coast.

There's been a surge in complaints about the police. Sewage is still flowing into Wellington harbour. Australian firefighters struggle as they battle wildfires. A DHB calls for sweet treats to be sold in plain packs.

The modern Olympic Games manifesto sold in New York overnight, setting a record price for sports memorabilia at over NZ$13 million.

The 14 page manifesto was written in 1892 by French aristocrat, educator and athletics advocate Pierre de Coubertin.

In it, he outlines his vision for reviving the ancient games as a modern, athletic competition - and the first modern games were held in Athens, Greece, just four years later in 1896.

Corin Dann speaks to Sotheby's International Senior Specialist in Books & Manuscripts, Selby Kiffer.