The Detail

The news year, unpacked, by five divas with microphonesAs the year draws to a close, The Detail looks back at 12 months of deep dives, sharp analysis, and the kinds of conversations that helped New Zealanders make sense of a turbulent, fast-moving worldGuests:Alexia Russell - The Detail editorGwen McClure - The Detail producer/ hostAmanda Gillies - The Detail hostSharon Brettkelly - The Detail hostDavina Zimmer - The Detail associate producerLearn More:Catch up on The Detail's 2025 episodes hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

From storms to scorchers, what this summer's wild weather means for New Zealand tourism With tourism numbers back to pre-covid levels, New Zealanders are getting ready for a swarm of tourists. Experts say those tourists should be getting ready for New Zealand's wild, changeable weather.Guests:Chris Brandolino - Earth Sciences New Zealand principal scientist and meteorologistDr Stephen Espiner - Lincoln University associate professor of parks, recreation and tourismFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

From stray dogs to traffic jams to the most controversial topic of all - berms - councillors and mayors from across the country report what's getting on their residents' nervesWhen residents have a gripe about rain, stray dogs, berm maintenance, or even a tree root, they call their councillor. Today The Detail is calling those councillors, too.Guests:Bryan Cadogan - former Clutha mayorSam Jennings - Horowhenua District councillorMax Brough - New Plymouth mayorRichard Hills - Auckland councillorLearn More:Auckland locals reaction to fortnightly rubbish collection proposalNew Plymouth women gets fined for planting on her bermChristchurch man takes fine for parking on berm to courtFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

At Auckland Museum's new shark exhibition, all the models are to scale, allowing visitors to get face-to-face with some of the largest creatures on the planetFrom a shark the size of a cigar to the long-extinct 400-kilo 'buzzsaw' to those that glow in the dark, sharks are an incredibly diverse species - and according to the exhibition's curator, 'the most misunderstood animals on the planet'Guests:Clinton Duffy - Auckland Museum curator of marine biologyLearn More:Details about Auckland Museum's Shark exhibition hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Between the high cost of living and a slew of toys failing safety tests, buying Christmas presents for kids is fraughtHow to shop for your kids this Christmas, in the wake of the asbestos-contaminated sand, toy recalls, and children's products failing safety testsGuests:Gemma Rasmussen - Consumer NZ head of research and advocacyMareta Hunt - Safekids Aotearoa Poutokomanawa/DirectorLearn More:Toy safety tipsMore about recent tests of toys from Shein, Ali Express, eBay and Amazon here and hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A year of highs, lows and hard questions: Inside New Zealand's rollercoaster sporting seasonThe country's biggest sports teams delivered everything from turmoil to triumph in 2025, with a mixed bag of results across rugby, league, netball and cricket, with off-field drama often dominating headlines.Guests:Rikki Swannell - Sports commentator and journalistLearn More:The Post's All Blacks season player ratingsRNZ's deep dive into the Netball NZ and Dame Noeline Taurua incident RNZ's piece on the Silver Ferns' win over England More rugby news here and hereMore on the Warriors here More on NZ football hereLiam Lawson's 2026 season confirmationFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The opening has been pushed back again, the price is extraordinary, but Auckland's City Rail Link is expected to deliver the region the wow factor Those in charge of the country's most expensive transport infrastructure are confident the new timetable for opening will stick - but they won't name a dateGuests:Alan Trestour - CRL Head of Delivery for Auckland TransportPatrick Brockie - CRL chief executiveStacey van der Putten - Auckland Transport director of public transport and active modesRussell McMullan - CRL Assurance and Integration general managerAdrian Price - Auckland Transport head of completion of Karanga-a-Hape stationLearn More:CRL official websiteFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

There's a lot of hand-wringing but few answers when it comes to culling New Zealand's rapidly expanding deer populationIn a war between hunters and conservationists over the control of one of our most damaging pests, only the deer are winningGuests:Richard Dawkins - Federated Farmers meat and wool chairJill Herron - Newsroom journalistJohn Bissell - hunter and conservationistLearn More:RNZ's podcast Deer WarsMore on Herd of Special Interest Details of talks on special interest wapiti herd revealedFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Aviation under pressure: Airbus A320 glitch adds to a year of crashes, questions, and shaken confidenceThe Airbus A320 fault sparked worldwide delays and airport chaos, and has renewed fears over aviation safety in a turbulent 2025Guests:Grant Bradley - Aviation commentatorDan Lake - Travel commentatorLearn More:Planes grounded after Airbus discovers solar radiation could impact systemsVictim identified following fatal mid-air collision between two planes in Sydney's southwestFleet of UPS planes grounded after deadly crash expected to miss peak delivery seasonUS fears cover-up in Air India crashWashington DC plane crash: Aircraft plunges into Potomac River after colliding with Black Hawk helicopter, major emergency response, flights groundedFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Regional councils have to find a different way of operating that cuts down on double ups and layers of bureaucracyRegional councillors who've just been sworn in have been shown the writing on the wall by the government, which is plotting a swift end to their termsGuests:Glenn McConnell - Stuff political reporterLearn More:Read Glenn's piece on the regional council shake up hereBeehive news release on local government changesFurther details from the Department of Internal Affairs Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details