R.A. Spratt is a best-selling author, who has captured the hearts and imaginations of children around the world.

Correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about bad behaviour at sporting events, and Southern Queensland's rough summer with repeated downpours.

With Auckland's light rail project officially scrapped, focus is returning to the other pieces of Auckland's road network puzzle.

How is the country's first ever Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey going to tackle the myriad of challenges before him?

Sports chat with Marc Hinton

Landscape designer and gardener Xanthe White has some great tips about what to plant and when to help reduce your grocery bill.

Katie Scotcher live from Parliament with Kathryn Ryan

Victoria looks at the latest in the manuka honey industry, with New Zealand scientists saying the country's honey is a different species from the Australian version. It follows several years of genetic studies into the plant. And the Port of Auckland is being challenged to improve productivity as it hikes user charges. The NZ Council of Cargo Owners told BusinessDesk it is positive that the Port is futureproofing operations, but also wants to see containers moved off of vessels faster. Victoria Young is BusinessDesk investigations editor.

Could Christchurch be a contender to host the next Commonwealth Games?. David says it could be dismissed as silly season fodder if the ramifications for the people of Christchurch weren't so serious. He says there have been recent mixed messages from the city council with Mayor Phil Mauger's calling for a report, by council staff and economic development agency ChristchurchNZ, on the viability of hosting the Commonwealth Games. The 2026 Games has been rejected by Victoria in Australia, and Alberta, Canada, because of escalating costs. David Williams is a South Island reporter for Newsroom.

Louise Ward of Wardini Books reviews three of her favourite books from last year: The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson, published by Gecko Press, Tarquin the Honest: Ocian's Elven by Gareth Ward, published by Bateman Books, Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton, published by 4th estate