Best Let The Ball Do The Work Podcasts (2025)

Alexa discusses the situation in Wairoa for residents, one year on from its floods, the uproar over water rates in Central Hawke's Bay and the success of an apple bred to cope with warming climate conditions.

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Book review: Island calling by Francesca Segal 2:13

Play Pause

5h ago2:13

2:13

Carole Beu of the Women's Bookshop in Auckland reviews Island calling by Francesca Segal published by Chatto & Windus

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Why a documentary about Filipino fishermen was banned 24:52

6h ago24:52

24:52

It was banned in the Philippines, now a Kiwi film festival has resisted pressure from China to remove a documentary about a disputed area of sea.

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Asia: Taiwan military exercises, China expands access 7:57

6h ago7:57

7:57

Asia correspondent Elizabeth Beattie

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A new homecare business brings together seniors and young 10:50

6h ago10:50

10:50

A new in home care business that brings together seniors, and young parents.

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Domestic cement manufacturing to be fuelled by plastic waste 7:43

6h ago7:43

7:43

Fletcher Building is using hard-to-recycle plastics as fuel for its Golden Bay cement factory, in Whangarei.

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More people leave NZ than arrive in April and May 19:31

7h ago19:31

19:31

Young New Zealanders are leaving in record numbers - particularly for Australia - and job insecurity is the obvious driver.

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Screentime: 28 Years Later, Smoke, Outrageous Fortune turns 20 12:22

17h ago12:22

12:22

Film and television reviewer Tamar Munch looks at zombie film 28 Years Later, new TV series Smoke (AppleTV+) starring Taron Edgerton as a fire investigator hunting a serial arsonist. And Kiwi classic Outrageous Fortune turns 20 this year.

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Parenting: turning experiences into lessons 15:55

17h ago15:55

15:55

Sara Segar discusses how parents help turn experiences into learning or their children. She runs the Experiential Experiential Learning Depot in Minnesota. She developed a range of resources for teachers and families, when she realised there was a desire for hands-on, authentic learning at home and in the classroom, but no material to help.…

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New technology: Peter Griffith 21:41

17h ago21:41

21:41

Peter Griffin is a Wellington-based science and technology journalist.

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Around the motu: Alisha Evans in Tauranga 7:06

18h ago7:06

7:06

Alisha discusses a notorious crash site, a pensioner's move from caravan into new housing and Tauranga Council hiking cremation and burial fees.

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Book review: Parallel Lines by Edward St Aubyn 4:28

18h ago4:28

4:28

Jane Westaway reviews Parallel Lines by Edward St Aubyn

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The Big Sleepout is back after a five-year pause 4:09

18h ago4:09

4:09

After a pause for five years the Big Sleepout - an event aimed at raising awareness and funds to tackle homelessness - is back.

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The Kiwi who tried to stop the Titan OceanGate disaster 24:45

18h ago24:45

24:45

New Zealander Rob McCallum, who raised concerns about the submersible, Titan, which was en route to the wreck of the Titanic in 2023 when it imploded.

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UK: Macron meets the King 11:23

19h ago11:23

11:23

UK correspondent Hugo Gye talks about the French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit, anew report by the Office for Budget Responsibility finds the outlook dire for British finances and Wimbledon in heatwaves.

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'Mad buggers': Ice Swimming Champs start in 5 degree lake 6:29

19h ago6:29

6:29

The annual Ice Swimming Championships are underway at St Bathans in Central Otago.

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Potential gamechanger for prostate cancer diagnosis 11:24

19h ago11:24

11:24

A team of researchers from the Te Whai Ao Dodd-Walls Centre have developed a potential gamechanger in the detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer.

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Balancing between land for food and land for housing 21:32

19h ago21:32

21:32

The government is proposing changes that would allow homes to be built on land categorised as suitable for farming and horticulture.

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Work: What's in the Employment Relations Amendment Bill 10:49

1d ago10:49

10:49

Law commentator Charles McGuinness, of McGuinness Employment Law.

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Dr Susan Parry on her stellar medical career 19:56

1d ago19:56

19:56

Dr Susan Parry on her proudest achievements and the importance of work-life balance.

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Around the motu: Samantha Gee in Nelson 9:50

1d ago9:50

9:50

Tasman region still in recovery mode from flooding, with more heavy rain on the way, no more coal for Nelson hospital, and Nelson St John paramedics desperate for bigger ambulance station.

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Book review: Jamaica Road by Lisa Smith 3:40

1d ago3:40

3:40

Elisabeth Easther reviews Jamaica Road by Lisa Smith published by Hachette

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Michael Andrew: magazine publishing in the digital age 15:26

1d ago15:26

15:26

Now does not seem like the right time to take on publishing a print magazine, but that's what Michael Andrew did.

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Tamaiti Williams on anxiety, and fatherhood 17:48

2d ago17:48

17:48

All Black Tamaiti Williams speaks of his experience of anxiety, particularly with the premature birth of his now 15-month-old daughter, Kaea.

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Australia: Correspondent Annika Smethurst 6:45

2d ago6:45

6:45

Australia correspondent Annika Smethurst looks at how the verdict in the mushroom murder trial fixated media around the world.

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Preserving New Zealand's unique marine environments 19:40

2d ago19:40

19:40

Campaigners want more done to ensure ocean biodiversity and the marine environment is preserved.

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New website aims to make switching banks easier 23:40

2d ago23:40

23:40

A new website launched in June hopes to change the perception that changing banks is too hard.

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Sports chat with Marc Hinton 10:49

3d ago10:49

10:49

The big takeaways from the first All Blacks test of the year, who impressed, and will there be changes for the second test in Wellington? The Warriors return to rugby league's NRLW; what was learned? Marc also has updates from Wimbledon, motorsport and basketball.

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Rotorua war hero story told in new opera Mate Ururoa 19:54

3d ago19:54

19:54

The true story of Rotorua soldier Captain Roger Dansey is being brought to life in Wellington Opera's performance Mate Ururoa. Written by acclaimed New Zealand composer Dame Gillian Whitehead, it tells the true story of Roger Ingram Te Kepa Dansey, engineer and Maori All Black, who enlisted when Britain declared war on Germany in 1914 and was one o…

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Business commentator Oli Lewis 19:17

3d ago19:17

19:17

Business commentator Oli Lewis.

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Around the motu: John Freer in Coromandel 10:20

3d ago10:20

10:20

John discusses progress on Local Water Done Well, tourism promotion in Coromandel and the chances of establishing a lake on the Thames foreshore.

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Book review: Koro Weta by Heather Haylock 3:25

3d ago3:25

3:25

Joanna Ludbrook from Chicken and Frog Bookshop reviews Koro Weta by Heather Haylock, published by Oratia Books.

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Equipping teachers, parents and learners in the AI age 29:13

3d ago29:13

29:13

Barbara Oakley is speaking to educators about neuroscience, psychology, artificial intelligence, neurodiversity and creativity.

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USA correspondent David Smith 11:13

3d ago11:13

11:13

USA correspondent David Smith.

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Diverting old car bumpers from landfill, into fenceposts 8:02

3d ago8:02

8:02

Around 115,000 new and used bumpers are replaced annually across New Zealand, with many destined for the landfill at their end or life.

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Insurance and emergency management partnership put to test 17:55

3d ago17:55

17:55

The insurance industry's new information sharing partnership was put to the test just days after it was signed.

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Call for government to overhaul costly standards system 13:32

3d ago13:32

13:32

Standards NZ price rises concern Engineering New Zealand, which says the user-pays funding model is failing.

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Cemeteries in cities 12:31

4d ago12:31

12:31

Urban issues correspondent Bill McKay discusses an aspect of urban design we don't often think about - or want to think about. Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland.

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Award winning smoked mussels from the Far North 9:39

4d ago9:39

9:39

The tiny settlement of Houhora - 41 kilometres north of Kaitaia - is the home of award winning smoked mussel producer The Kutai Guy.

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Political commentators Neale Jones and Brigitte Morten 21:51

4d ago21:51

21:51

A wrap of the week in politics with panellists Neale Jones and Brigitte Morton.

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Around the motu: David Williams in Christchurch 7:01

4d ago7:01

7:01

Around the motu: David Williams in Christchurch.

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Book review: On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle 5:26

4d ago5:26

5:26

Stella Chrysostomou of Volume Books reviews On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle published by Faber.

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Kiwi company launches power saving panel 8:54

4d ago8:54

8:54

A New Zealand startup is selling smart panels it says will help households save on their power bills.

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Rhonda Hapi-Smith on life in the prisons 28:51

4d ago28:51

28:51

Rhonda Hāpi-Smith worked inside the toughest prisons for nearly twenty years. She tells her story

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Foreign correspondent Sebastian Usher in Israel 13:01

4d ago13:01

13:01

Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel about a ceasefire in Gaza are taking place in Qatar. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under increasing pressure at home to end the fighting and is due to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington shortly. Sebastian Usher brings us the latest on the negotiations.…

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Controversial regulation bill heads into four days of hearings 5:56

4d ago5:56

5:56

Parliament's Finance and Expenditure select committee is reconvening to hear public submissions on the controversial Regulatory Standards Bill.

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New card lets employees save on public transport 10:02

4d ago10:02

10:02

A new service allows employees to pay for public transport from their pre-tax income - how much can they save?

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Workplace mental health support- do employers understand obligations? 21:59

4d ago21:59

21:59

Xero has confirmed it's dropping the employee assistance programme, or EAP, it offered free to businesses that use its software. Businesses have a level of responsibilty for physical and mental health at work, and many rely on external EAP providers. But do employers understand their legal responsibilities?…