
The notoriously prickly Ben Elton on swearing, drinking and being overeager
Ahead of his one-man show arriving in NZ, Michele Hewitson speaks with the UK comedian.

How NZ science is helping Easter Island flower again
A bacterial friend of kōwhai is helping repatriate trees on the other side of the Pacific.
Politics

Best intentions: The reasons leftist governments can’t build infrastructure
A captivation by governments with progressive causes stymies growth, claims a new book.

Danyl McLauchlan: Adrian Orr’s vanishing act
Adrian Orr’s hasty departure is symptomatic of the backlash against bureaucracy.
Opinion

Duncan Garner: Aussie teachers retire with $2.5m. Why does NZ get superannuation so wrong?
It’s time to wake up and supercharge KiwiSaver ASAP.

An American in NZ: Trump is only one of the reasons I want to live in your country
My crush on New Zealand has now grown into true romantic love.

Conor English: History can teach Donald Trump a lesson on the effects of a US tariff war
Creating more uncertainty is unhelpful to everyone - including New Zealand.
New Zealand

Our quiet achievers: 15 of the most influential NZers you’ve never heard of
Forget the 'Kiwi greats'. Our best and brightest are famous in fields that don't make news

Kiwi exceptionalism: Does NZ really punch above its weight?
It's a phrase thrown around in conversation, but is it true?

Danyl McLauchlan: Adrian Orr’s vanishing act
Adrian Orr’s hasty departure is symptomatic of the backlash against bureaucracy.
Enterprise & Tech
Health

Why do young people suffering mental distress find it so hard to ask for help?
Research identifies barriers to seeking help that could be useful for youth workers.

What surprises NZ dentist about the state of our teeth
Fluoridation, fear and failing systems - the reality of being a dentist in NZ.

Taking iron pills? How the right foods and timing make a difference to their success
Whether you get your iron from food or supplements, how much of it you absorb is flexible.
Life

Move over, microwaves: Jamie Oliver’s simple air fryer recipes
Jamie Oliver bows to public affection for air fryers with three simple recipes.

Putting our wines to the test: NZ’s Bordeaux-style reds versus the French region’s wines
In a blind tasting, how well do our Bordeaux-style reds compare with the originals?
Culture

Artist Dick Frizzell on aspirations, obsessions & guilty pleasures
Dick Frizzell once dreamt of a hairdressing salon with a fountain, then he discovered art.

He made it big in the dotcom era, now he’s making music for Ukraine
NZ software engineer turns composer to write a symphony for Ukraine.

From takeaway bars to beach cleanups: Iconic NZ poster gets a makeover to tackle plastic pollution
Classic takeaway shop poster inspires new wave of Kiwi creativity - and cleaner beaches.
Entertainment

The notoriously prickly Ben Elton on swearing, drinking and being overeager
Ahead of his one-man show arriving in NZ, Michele Hewitson speaks with the UK comedian.

Listener’s Songs of the Week: New tracks by Chappell Roan, Matt Berninger, Bon Iver and more
Listen to the best of this week's new releases - selected by the Listener team.

Aged scare facility: Behind the curtains of Kiwi rest home horror
How Kiwi director turned Owen Marshall story into Stephen King’s new favourite film.
Books

Best intentions: The reasons leftist governments can’t build infrastructure
A captivation by governments with progressive causes stymies growth, claims a new book.

Book of the day: You Are Here by Whiti Hereaka and Peata Larkin
The sixth kōrero between writers and artists tackles a sense of place.
Crime

NZ’s top cop on the crime he’ll never forget
"Investigating crimes against children has been the hardest part of my career."

Lights, camera and bare-faced lies: The Canadian who fooled NZ
A fake résumé secured him a top job — until a tenacious reporter got suspicious.

Rehabilitation advocates on why tough-on-crime policies won’t cut reoffending
Tipping the scales II: How restorative justice works for each side.
World

Jane Clifton: Scotland’s peculiar perverse cat problem
Europe’s growing practice of reintroducing fauna strikes wild issues.

How one speech turned the tide in Germany’s election
All eyes were on the far-right AfD party, but a smaller political force gathered steam.

Charlotte Grimshaw: When caring is ‘woke’
In 2025, the world has a new vibe: Trump is conducting real estate foreign policy.
Sponsored Stories

10 things we learnt from listener.co.nz stories this week
Peacekeeping, population and why cannabis could cure insomnia.

10 things we learnt from listener.co.nz stories this week
The former PM who helped solve a violent crime to 11 words to say before you die.

10 things we learnt from listener.co.nz stories this week
From politics to entertainment & books, points worth noting from our most recent stories.