Criminals can be high-profile, tragic or horrifying. And then once in a while, they are bizarre, hilarious or amazing. This episode of The Long Read looks at some fascinating ones from New Zealand’s history.
Deborah Morris reported this episode's story. You can read it in full here.
The latest
- October 11, 2024
How not to walk Te Araroa
After receiving some unfortunate health news, Senior reporter Martin van Beynen planned an adventure that would test his superb tramping skills. What could go wrong?
- October 4, 2024
How a horse hoof solved a murder
Every murder case has an “aha” moment. It can be anything from a smoking gun to a confession, and sometimes even a hoof print can provide a breakthrough.
- September 27, 2024
The scars and secrets of forced adoptions
A stolen baby, a student, and the cracking of a 70-year secret. A forced adoption led to scars and secrets. But, thanks to a DNA detective, Di Hill now has the answer to a question she’s been asking forever: Who am I?
- September 20, 2024
I wish he had hit me'
The 1980 Hague Convention was meant to protect against children being abducted by a parent. Today, it is frequently used by abusive parents to force their partners into an unenviable choice: lose their child or live within reach of their abusers.
- September 14, 2024
Why you should care about Lucy Blakiston
You definitely won’t recognise her. You probably won’t even know her name. But from her bedroom in Blenheim, Lucy Blakiston has become a big deal on the internet.
- September 5, 2024
Seditious women and other troublemakers
New Zealand has had so many high-profile female firsts ‒ then there are the everyday women who also made a difference. Hear the stories of the unapologetic abortionist, the first suffragist, the seditious woman, and the house of ill repute.
- August 30, 2024
Mums shine at the Olympics
Mothers can do anything, and sports organizations are finally catching up. This was highlighted by Kiwi rowers Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis, who won gold in the double sculls at the Paris Olympics this month.
- August 23, 2024
A completed life
Aubrey Welsh is 69, and will not see his 70th birthday. In September, he will voluntarily stop eating and drinking with the goal of ending his life. He simply believes he's done everything he's wanted to do - his life is "complete".
- August 17, 2024
Breathing room
Cameron Leslie is one of our most successful athletes, dominating the pool for almost 20 years. Ahead of the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Leslie explains why this time his biggest test isn’t in the water - it’s in the air.
- August 9, 2024
The solar farms and the bird factory
Solar farms are about to spread across New Zealand amid surging demand for renewable energy. Where some see opportunity, others see a threat; no more so than in the Mackenzie Basin, where solar farms and one of the world’s rarest birds will share what remains of a transformed landscape.
- August 2, 2024
Inside big biscuit
Ever wondered how Big Biscuit comes up with new product flavours? Or why the dough mixture gets X-rayed? Senior Reporter Steve Kilgallon takes you inside Griffin’s bake room to uncover the truth - and meet a biscuit-maker who doesn’t have a taste for the sweet things in life.
- July 26, 2024
A murder in toy town
There have been other attempts to get the Parker-Hulme story on screen besides Heavenly Creatures. Why does this story still fascinate so many of us?
- July 19, 2024
Slippery Sam, the highwayman and other strange NZ criminals
Criminals can be high-profile, tragic or horrifying. And then once in a while, they are bizarre, hilarious or amazing. This episode of The Long Read looks at some fascinating ones from New Zealand’s history.
- July 12, 2024
Lord of the Manor: Noel Edmonds
What happens when a mega-wealthy celebrity buys large chunks of a small community and starts throwing his weight around? In 2022, British TV star Noel Edmonds' moved to Ngātīmoti buying a vineyard and cafe called Dunbar Estates. The response to his $30m property buyout has divided the South Island area.
- July 5, 2024
Frankton: The future Ponsonby of Hamilton
Apartments are going up, new residents are arriving and Hamilton’s inner-city suburb Frankton is having a moment. Some even go as far as to say Frankton is on its way to be the Ponsonby of Hamilton.
- June 28, 2024
NZ's dreamlike international fair
For six months in the early 20th century, a magnificent palace was built in Hagley Park for the largest event held in the city, Christchurch's international fair.
- June 21, 2024
The cyclone and the wedding
On February 13, Hawke’s Bay couple Michaela Tait and Mackenzie Wiig were gearing up for the biggest day of their lives. Then Cyclone Gabrielle destroyed their home and their plans.
- June 14, 2024
A wife's pain
Joanne* was convicted of inciting her husband's suicide after she encouraged him to harm himself in text messages. This story reveals how a government department broke the couple and helped to tip a desperate father over the edge.
- June 7, 2024
I thought I was going to die
A spate of gay-bashings in Christchurch has resurfaced old fears that the city isn’t safe for rainbow people, and the mayor admits urgent action is needed.
- May 31, 2024
Nicola Willis on power, sacrifice and her mischievous streak
We think we know our country's leaders. But do we really? Ahead of her first budget day as finance minister, Tova O'Brien met up with Nicola Willis to talk superstitions, power, and the naughtiest thing she's ever done.
- May 24, 2024
Making coffins isn't a childhood
The New Tribes Mission wanted to ‘plant’ churches in far flung communities. But missionary kids, including Kiwis, were subject to abuse. Colin Mee was one of them.
- May 17, 2024
A chosen end to a wonderful life
Tracy Hickman has lived her life “pedal to the floor” - just existing has never been an option. That's why she's decided she’ll have an assisted death.
- May 10, 2024
Being a funny guy is serious business
Guy Montgomery landed on being a comedian as being funny is something he seemed to be the best at, but being a funny guy is a serious business.
- May 3, 2024
The kiwi music act going global
Combining dance bangers with a full orchestra, Synthony promises Gen X nostalgics their best night out in years.
- April 26, 2024
Cancer care's postcode lottery
A postcode lottery means some people are more likely to survive cancer than others
- April 19, 2024
The power of equine therapy
Working with horses has given hope to two women in the tight grip of an eating disorder ‒ hope they had almost lost sight of.
- April 12, 2024
Our crumbling cemeteries
Cemeteries across Christchurch have faced neglect, vandalism, and damage over time. But whose job is it to look after cemeteries?
- April 5, 2024
The Mysterious Murder of David Robinson
David Robinson was found dead on a West Coast beach on December 28, 1998. His murder has never been solved.
- March 29, 2024
NZ's baby scoop era
NZ's baby scoop era marks a dark time in our country's history, where children were stolen from their mothers under a state-know-best policy.
- March 22, 2024
Meet the Monarchists
From Northland to the Catlins, thousands of Kiwis give up their homes, gardens and time to help the Danaus plexippus butterfly, more commonly known as the monarch butterfly.
- March 15, 2024
The Kings Arms
The Kings Arms became a hub of metal, punk, indie, and reggae scenes throughout its 198 years in Newton, Auckland. There hasn't been a venue to fill its hole in the music scene since it closed in 2018.
- March 8, 2024
Alleged Abuse in the Sacristy Room
Father Damian Carlile was sent to Aotearoa after he was accused of sexual abuse in Gabon, Africa. But then allegations about altar boys in Whanganui arose in the early 2000s.
- March 1, 2024
Odin and Lorazepam
Charmaine Wolmarans is a self-described animal rescue vigilante whose carefully crafted public image suggests she does it for the love of the pets she takes in. But why does she have so many “haters”?
- February 23, 2024
New Zealand's screen identity
Since the Lord of the Rings trilogy, New Zealand's screen industry has flourished, spotlighting its breathtaking landscapes and talented workforce.
- February 16, 2024
Les Mills: The McDonald's of Fitness
One trainer calls it the McDonald’s of fitness. He’s not being insulting. What he means is wherever you go in the world, the quarter pounder with cheese is the same.
- February 9, 2024
The reality of NZ's nicotine addiction
A surge in the popularity of vaping nicotine, especially among young Kiwis, has left a cloud over Aotearoa's smokefree ambitions.
- February 2, 2024
The hidden struggles of homeless women in Aotearoa
Women make up over 50% of Aotearoa’s homeless population. And yet they are often overlooked - because they aren’t seen.
- January 29, 2024
A lonely death at Horseshoe Lake
When Frances Rawling passed, her body remained undiscovered in the red zone for weeks.
- January 26, 2024
Death of a highway
SH25A connects one side of the Coromandel peninsula to the other and was closed after extensive cyclone damage.
- January 22, 2024
National treasure Kim Hill
Kim Hill is well known for her many years of service at RNZ and her fearless interview style. She left her Saturday Morning slot in November 2023 after 21 years in the role.
- January 19, 2024
The Search for the Sydenham Slasher
Although police have a possible DNA profile of the 64-year-old’s killer - once dubbed the “Savage Sydenham Slasher” - a suspect has died, and his family has refused to cooperate.
- January 15, 2024
Anatomy of an arrest
Former cop Reece Marshall says he wouldn't change anything about the actions that saw him prosecuted.
- January 13, 2024
Amanda Palmer's NZ experience
In the vacuum of Covid, stranded US musician Amanda Palmer found community and controversy in New Zealand.
- January 8, 2024
Double Standard
‘Double standard’ leaves some criminalised, others part of billion-dollar industry
- January 5, 2024
Not under your jurisdiction
The phenomenon known as 'psuedolaw' is clogging up courts around New Zealand. Researchers describe it as a parallel legal system with rules and practices that vaguely represent the actual legal system, except no legal practitioner would recognise it as legally authoritative.
- January 1, 2024
Scumlord or housing crisis hero?
Christchurch Landlord Lee Bennett has been called a "Scumlord" for his unhealthy and damaged rentals. However, he says he’s just doing his best for the suburb others abandoned after the earthquakes by providing affordable rentals.
- December 29, 2023
Making Tracks
Jonah Franke-Bowell is now a journalist but for months amid the pandemic he was working on New Zealand’s railway, learning how to lay tracks, finding the best provincial sandwich, and making friends along the way. This is his story.
- December 25, 2023
Shipwreck, hungry ghosts, and a bitter controversy
In 1902, the SS Ventnor sank off Hokianga harbour, carrying the remains of nearly 500 Chinese goldminers being returned to their villages. The ship’s discovery in 2013 has sparked a decade of accusation, and antagonism towards those who helped find it.
- December 23, 2023
Justice for Angela Blackmoore
Dave Hawken and Rebecca Wright-Meldrum’s pasts had caught up. On December 9, 2023 the jury found the pair guilty of the murder of Angela Blackmoore in 1995. Justice for Angela Blackmoore was slow but it had finally arrived.
- December 15, 2023
Axing Relationship Education
Advocates fear removing and replacing the relationship and sexuality education guidelines will be taking a step backwards in ending sexual violence and reversing improvements in the wellbeing of rainbow communities.
- December 9, 2023
Where your food scraps go
Have you ever wondered where your food scraps go once you place your green bin on the kerbside? In Auckland, senior journalist Steve Kilgallon takes the 555km round trip in which food scraps are transformed via anaerobic digestion to create energy and fertiliser.
- December 1, 2023
I nailed Tamihere
As David Tamihere’s conviction for murdering two Swedish tourists returned to court this week, allegations of a shock confession surfaced, along with grisly revelations that body parts from one of the victims remained on display at a laboratory for more than 20 years.
- November 25, 2023
How I escaped a cult
Born with no arms and legs, Jess Stewart became somewhat of a celebrity within the Exclusive Brethren. However, when it came time to leave, it had to be carefully planned.
- November 17, 2023
Dilworth's internal memos
A survivor of sexual abuse at Dilworth School in the 1990s says memos written by senior school administrators shows they knew staff had sexually abused boys – and that it would continue.
- November 11, 2023
Ikea's interior design gurus vs my home
As part of their qualitative research for the new Ikea mega store coming in late 2025, Ikea's interior designers are checking out NZ homes for what storage solutions we may want and need.
- November 3, 2023
The characters of public meetings
Like protests or petitions, public meetings are a cornerstone of democracy. From NIMBYs to Legal Beagles and everything in between, community reporter Jonathan Killick lifts the lid on the characters that usually go along.
- October 27, 2023
I still have nightmares
Described as a one-man crime wave’ prisoner Damon Exley escaped Rimutaka Prison in February 2022 disguised as a prison guard and then abducted and raped a woman.
- October 20, 2023
Kisses in the carwash
Disabled Kiwis face more dating hurdles than most, with non-disabled people often awkward or anxious around them.
- October 13, 2023
The changing state of social housing
They lived in cars and on couches, now they have a chance of a home of their own.
- October 6, 2023
The New Zealanders and the genocide
As New Zealand struggled with race relations at home in the late 19th century, some of its citizens were participating in a genocide overseas.
- September 29, 2023
A prickly problem
Hedgehogs devour many native species, and can be more prolific than rats. Yet they remain much-loved, fed and protected by some Kiwis, thwarting pest control efforts.
- September 23, 2023
It's part of the game
UFC mixed martial artist Israel Adesanya is many things: champion fighter, fashion plate, a particular version of modern masculinity.
- September 16, 2023
Blind Ambition
Minnie Baragwanath was diagnosed with a degenerative disease at age 15 which left her legally blind. This story discusses how facing her own challenges drives her to change how we think about disability.
- September 8, 2023
Forsaken
No one really knows how many people in New Zealand have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. In its Disordered project, the Stuff Circuit team laid bare our chronic mismanagement of the disability.
- September 4, 2023
Peak Barber
How chemical weapons, economic theory and the internet combined to squeeze ten barbershops into one Auckland suburb.
- September 1, 2023
Aotearoa's only indigenous dog
With prices running to thousands and scientists set to study their DNA, some say the huntaway dog – and its contribution to New Zealand – still doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
- August 28, 2023
The Mystery of the Berserk Expedition
In 2011, a Norwegian yacht sank off the coast of Antarctica during a storm. Three of its crew were lost. A decade on, a Stuff investigation finds new revelations about why the yacht sank and New Zealand's involvement.
- August 25, 2023
The One He Never Forgot
On the face of it Sergeant Alastair Dickie had an easy choice to make: attend a suspected armed incident or process a disqualified driver sitting in front of him? But it’s never that simple.
- August 21, 2023
The Hoarder's Treasure
For decades, a rundown house in Christchurch secretly harboured one of New Zealand’s greatest literary treasures. This is the story of the reclusive hoarder who hid it, the woman who wrote it, and the man who rediscovered it.
- August 18, 2023
In her mind - The trial of Lauren Dickason
On Wednesday 16th August, the jury reached a majority verdict, that Lauren Dickason was guilty of all three counts of murder, criminally responsible for killing her three children.
- August 14, 2023
A Solitary Murder
In 1927, 82-year-old André Jose was bludgeoned to death in a Stewart Island boarding house. His death is the only known homicide on the island.
- August 11, 2023
The wonderful world of pedigree guinea pigs
Welcome to a world where the best bodies look like bricks and $35 buys you the chance of a championship. At a Porirua guinea pig show, she meets the people who know good things really do come in small packages.
- August 7, 2023
New Zealand's Indiana Jones - Nazi hunter and treasure seeker
Cool under fire, Kiwi Sergeant Edgar "Sandy" Sanders was known for his wartime heroics as part of a clandestine British army unit but then her turned his eye to treasure hunting.
- August 4, 2023
The Bird Park, the conspiracy, and the council.
Murray and Margaret Shaw retired and started a small bird park, but not before becoming embroiled in a sprawling saga involving a late-night arrest, an early-morning raid, and a music festival called Birdstock.
- July 31, 2023
The Short Game
The surprising emergence of competitive minigolf and the drive to represent New Zealand.
- July 28, 2023
The Last Person Standing
One had broken ribs and two years of heartbreak to overcome. The other had been a national celebrity but never faced anything like this before. Now they were running against each other, to the death. Stuff’s MIKE WHITE and LAWRENCE SMITH recorded the drama of last weekend’s Riverhead Backyard ReLaps Ultra, the race that keeps on going until only one person is left standing.
- July 24, 2023
The Price of Fish
The Antipodean albatross will be functionally extinct in 30 years. This is the story of how US supermarkets are unwittingly helping to kill New Zealand's most endangered bird.
- July 21, 2023
Fixing Lucy
At the top of her sport and destined to row at the Olympic Games, Lucy Strack suddenly forgot how to scull.
- July 17, 2023
The Heist
As detectives set about looking for an international crime syndicate, two local lads were crumpling their crisp new bank notes to avoid suspicion. More than 50 years on, Chloe Ranford discovers some of the money was never recovered.
- July 14, 2023
Kicking and Screaming
Reinventing yourself after quitting your dream job can be pretty painful. Just ask All Black great Dan Carter. Adam Dudding reports.
- July 10, 2023
Big Brother is Watching (and Listening)
Surveillance software, global data sharing - and an encounter with a dashcam
- July 7, 2023
The double-lives of Corallee Collins-Annan
How wannabe New Zealand lawyer Corallee Collins-Annan created a double life; on the surface glitzy and successful while underneath juggling debt and academic failure.
- July 3, 2023
Too Bland for Bond
Beautiful scenery good enough for Lord of The Rings, so why has 007 - James Bond - never been to New Zealand?
- June 30, 2023
Duckie and Drakie and a bizarre legal saga
The fate of two pekin ducks living contentedly on a Southland pond sparked a five year court saga that has made legal history.
- June 26, 2023
The Electric Lake
How a lake nestled high in the Central Otago hill country could electrify the country
- June 23, 2023
Lessons from Antarctica on how to get through winter.
While the dark days of New Zealand’s winters don’t hold a candle to Antarctica’s, there’s no doubt they can still affect our physical and mental health. So what can we learn from the experts - people who spend six months of the year in darkness.
- June 19, 2023
The Great Kea Cull
From a bounty on the beak of every kea to protection for our threatened mountain parrot
- June 16, 2023
Hope and the Loafers Lodge Fire
The man who jumped to safety from Loafers Lodge rather than burn now has a new life, but why did it take a fire?
- June 9, 2023
Did his partner try to kill him?
Toxic relationship: Scientist suspected of using her own drugs to poison her partner
- June 2, 2023
The Collapse of New Freeland
What if you could build a new society inside a national park? A motley crew of sovereign citizens tried to do just that, with an ambitious – but mostly incompetent – attempt to establish “New Freeland” under the Department of Conservation’s nose.
- May 26, 2023
The downfall of the Mama Hooch rapists
The identities of two men who drugged and sexually assaulted numerous women have been revealed after earlier being found guilty. Blair Ensor and Jake Kenny have the full report .
- May 19, 2023
The forgotten Māori soldiers of Colditz
The two men served time in the infamous German prison and went on a dangerous mission at the close of World War II in Europe. Charlie Gates uncovers their full story for the first time.
- May 12, 2023
The unchecked power of strip clubs
The bond between women at strip clubs and the shocking working conditions
- May 5, 2023
The Perfect Storm
A storm with the destructive force of Cyclone Gabrielle could temporarily cripple the capital and sink parts of the Hutt Valley under four metres of floodwater. ETHAN TE ORA examines the hypothetical path and fallout of such an event.
- April 28, 2023
Convicted killer insists he was framed\
Convicted killer Mark Pakenham insists he was 'framed' in Sara Niethe's disappearance
- April 21, 2023
Finding love in a hundred dates
A pyschologist takes dating to the next level inorder to find love
- April 14, 2023
Barbie: Feminist foe or marketing masterpiece?
The backstory of Barbie - the doll both loved and loathed
- April 8, 2023
Making history - single, gay and a surrogate parent
Matthew Williams has become possibly NZ's first gay,single surrogate dad, with the help of a close friend and his big sister.
- March 31, 2023
The curious case of the Kiwi fashion designer and the duplicate dresses
Adrian Hailwood has been described as the “knight of New Zealand fashion.” But a major Chinese fast fashion chain is now investigating claims of intellectual property breach over one of Hailwood's collections,
- March 24, 2023
The Infernal Reo Machine
No artificial intelligence had ever really cracked the Māori language before, and now here are at least two.
- March 17, 2023
I was seeing six people
Many people still believe in finding ‘the one’, but a growing number of Kiwis believe love goes further than that. Polyamory, often misunderstood, can also be freeing.
- March 12, 2023
Our plastic love affair
New Zealand’s newest national park - and one of the most isolated spots in the country - is polluted with plastic trash.
- March 3, 2023
The madman and the road worker
Police hid in bushes, bugged phones and kept him under surveillance for two years before arresting the man charged with the senseless murder of road worker George Taiaroa
- February 25, 2023
Would you kill if he told you to?
Everyone describes him as articulate, well-educated, intelligent. He ran daycare centres, was a school trustee. So why did he lie over and over again to Immigration New Zealand?
- February 17, 2023
The Last Flight of the Dragonfly
New Zealand’s biggest aviation mystery has it all: a daring pilot, a vintage plane, a tourist flight to the most beautiful place on earth, and a honeymooning couple. But what happened to Dragonfly ZK-AFB, which disappeared more than 60 years ago, remains unknown despite decades of searching.
- February 10, 2023
Forgetting Aaron Gilmore
Former National MP Aaron Gilmore wants people to know who he is – again. A group of people, with whom he is mired in a messy business dispute, wish they never met him. Ethan Te Ora investigates a story of unpaid bills, forced entries, and an apartment hotel proprietor.
- February 3, 2023
Lucky Man
Breakfast radio host and veteran entertainer Gary McCormick is on the move again. After 18 years of cheering up listeners on their daily commute or making sure their day starts with a laugh, Gary McCormick reflects on his life thus far as he transitions into his new role. One thing for sure is he really won't be missing Taylor Swift.
- January 27, 2023
The Pā Wars
The J Swap contracting conglomerate has known for years that it was quarrying near an old pā site of significance to Māori, but even after part of the site collapsed, it kept blasting. National Correspondent Tony Wall investigates.
- January 21, 2023
Kai stands still for nobody: Can you be a real Māori and pursue a vegan diet?
Mana, liberation. Chicken crafted from peas. Reporter Joel Maxwell blends observation, opinion, and the voices of fellow vegans, including Tāme Iti, in a quest to find what it means to be a Māori vegan.
- January 13, 2023
Why Wellington Should No Longer Be The Capital of New Zealand
Wellington exists because of a propaganda campaign, which led to it becoming the capital under questionable circumstances. Charlie Mitchell makes the case that Hamilton (that’s right) is a better bet.
- January 5, 2023
Finding Ben
In March 2018, Ben Lott fell and suffered a severe brain injury while competing in an adventure race. Two days later, he was found disoriented in the middle of a forest by fellow racer Scott Worthington. Over the following days, Worthington helped Lott make it to the race finish. Over the next four years, he stayed beside Lott while he made an incredible recovery. This is the story of Finding Ben.
- December 23, 2022
Alfred Hitchcock's Kiwi Holiday
When Alfred Hitchcock came on holiday to New Zealand in 1967, he popped in to see an old friend in the Wellington suburbs. A collection of letters reveals his 50-year Kiwi friendship for the first time. Reporter Charlie Gates tells us all about it in this weeks episode of The Long Read.
- December 17, 2022
The Conductor
A New Zealander has a stroke every 55 minutes. When it happened to classical conductor Hamish McKeich it robbed him of the one thing he needs to perform. Andrea Vance and Iain McGregor tell his story.
- December 9, 2022
This Charming Man
Forget the shenanigans of Newsboy, and welcome the new “moderate” Jeremy Wells: a man who meditates at lunchtime, is restrained in his drinking, jogs, eats well, tries to be an engaged parent and describes himself as politically centrist.
- December 2, 2022
The 'Strategic Hunters'
In 2018, New Zealand police began using a controversial interviewing tactic to crack cold case killings. A 12-month Stuff investigation has revealed strong concerns about police interviewing tactics were raised long before one interview led to a false confession and a collapsed murder case.
- November 25, 2022
Out of the Darkness
At an eye clinic in Fiji, blindness can be reversed with a swift, transformative surgery. But out of the corner of the medics’ eyes, a worrying new threat is looming. Podcast Director Adam Dudding tells us about the story, and reads it for The Long Read.
- November 18, 2022
Jo Vs Cancer
Who is Jo McKenzie-McLean? What is Stuff’s new podcast Jo vs Cancer? Jo McKenzie-McLean’s life was turned upside down after a stage 4 bowel cancer diagnosis. In Stuff’s new podcast Jo Vs Cancer, the mother-of-two and Stuff journalist offers frank - and sometimes darkly funny - insights into life with an incurable illness. Reporter Nadine Roberts asks Jo why she has gone public with her diagnosis in this Long Read.
- November 12, 2022
Jane Campion - Always Fearless
Ahead of accepting Aotearoa’s highest arts accolade, Dame Jane Campion talks to Michelle Duff about a life of creativity, and bringing women’s desires to screen.
- November 4, 2022
The Race With No End
The race with no end: Mud, blood and heartbreak at running's most brutal event.It’s a race with no end. Entrants have to keep running until they simply can’t go on, until they drop, until there’s only one person left standing. Mike White wrote about the heroics and heartbreak that unfolded in the most brutal race imaginable.
- October 31, 2022
What Happened to Baby Penny-Tui
In 1985, 1-year-old Penny-Tui Taputoro suffered fatal injuries while in the care of family friend, Kathleen Smith. Nearly four decades later, despite conflicting evidence, lies and an admission extracted using a controversial interviewing technique, Smith has not been charged. And Penny-Tui’s family is still searching for the truth. Listen to Reporter Blair Ensor explain What Happened to Baby Penny-Tui.
- October 22, 2022
The Bully Buster
David Farrier has reported from radioactive wastelands and conspiracy rabbit holes, but his latest documentary may have taken him to the most toxic place yet.
- October 14, 2022
Willy de Wit Talks Drugs, Strokes and Depression
New Zealand comedian Willy de Wit has packed a lot into his 62 years - and his new book 'Drink Smoke Snort Stroke' details the highs and lows with surprising frankness.
- October 7, 2022
The Conundrum of Peter Ellis
After 30 years, Peter Ellis' convictions for child sexual abuse have been quashed. Listen to full story and hear reporter Martin van Beynen discuss the Supreme Court judgement.
- September 30, 2022
After the Fall
Eighteen years ago, Chris Canham jumped off a hospital building because he thought the devil was after him. He woke three weeks later with broken legs and a smashed pelvis. But he still felt lucky.
- September 24, 2022
Road to Redemption
Nearly 3000 people have been deported to New Zealand since Australia began hardline enforcement of a populist immigration policy in 2014. More than half of them have gone on to commit crimes, but some are on the road to redemption.
- September 16, 2022
The Bard and the Dame
Dame Ngaio Marsh is best known as a crime writer. But she devoted most of her life to turning one New Zealand city into a beacon of high culture.
- September 9, 2022
Fire and Fury
The story behind who is driving a violent, misinformed New Zealand - and why
- September 3, 2022
What Lies Beneath
It's a mystery that just won't go away: what secrets are still held by one of Auckland's most prominent landmarks?
- August 27, 2022
Miscarriage of Justice: The Tragic Case of Alan Hall
Alan Hall spent 19 years in jail for a murder he didn't commit, but the authorities repeatedly refused to acknowledge a terrible mistake had been made. When the Supreme Court quashed Hall’s conviction, calls grew for those responsible to be held accountable.
- August 20, 2022
Melanie Lynskey's Moment
Melanie Lynskey has always been brilliant. Why did it take till now for the world to realise? Zoe Walker Ahwa reads her NZ-exclusive interview with the Emmy-nominated actress.
- August 12, 2022
The Liberator
The strange story of an aging communist with oxygenated fish tanks in his car who roamed New Zealand's countryside for decades in a bizarre crime spree that forever changed our environment.
- August 5, 2022
SPECIAL EPISODE: The Thrill of The Chase
The chase is on. The Long Read is breaking character harder than a Bradley Walsh laughing fit to discuss Stuff's new data project on the juggernaut TV quiz show The Chase.
- July 29, 2022
Killer Blow - The Kirsty Bentley Mystery
The unsolved murder of 15-year-old Kirsty Bentley in 1998 in Ashburton is seared into the national consciousness. Now, police have announced a major move in the case.
- July 22, 2022
Your Affectionate Wife
Murder, madness, exile, redemption: For more than 100 years, Albert Moss was the only New Zealander to take all 10 wickets in an innings in first-class cricket. It was just the start of his remarkable life story.
- July 15, 2022
The One Who Got Away
When "Robert" first came across Bert Potter and his followers, he was all in. But after uncovering a dark secret at the Centrepoint commune, he was faced with a terrible decision – should he stay or should he go?
- July 8, 2022
The World's Best Liar
Sandy Graham shot dead her partner, Dale Watene, then had her best friend bury the body in a shallow grave, deep in a forest. Then she told lie after lie to hide what she’d done.
- July 2, 2022
Show Me The Money
The Marist Brothers and Fathers have educated prime ministers, judges, cardinals and All Blacks. But their record of sexual abuse is horrific. Why have survivors receive pitifully small compensation payouts?
- June 24, 2022
See No Evil (Ep 2 of 2)
If the terrorist weren't white, could he still have plotted in secret? (Episode 2 of 2 – listen to part one first!)
- June 24, 2022
See No Evil (Ep 1 of 2)
Before the Christchurch mosque attacks, not everyone was blind to the looming danger. (Episode 1 of a two-part special)
- June 17, 2022
Tortured Soul
Sleeping rough and suffering from terminal cancer, Barbara Campbell, known as Rose, was allegedly murdered in the shopfront she’d made her home. How did she come to be estranged from her family and living on the street? WARNING: One instance of strong language.
- June 10, 2022
The Heist
The drinking buddies who bamboozled police with their near-perfect bank job.
- June 3, 2022
The Electric Lake
A shallow lake nestled high in the Central Otago hill country could electrify the country, and serve as the biggest public infrastructure project in nearly half a century. Will reality, and a protected wetland, stop it in its tracks?
- May 28, 2022
The Media and the Megachurch
Allegations about megachurches have prompted significant media attention. Do they signal the end of the age of the 'hype priest'?
- May 21, 2022
The Battle of Wainuiōmata
When the anti-mandate protesters were driven off parliamentary grounds in March, many went looking for somewhere else to occupy. They set their sights on a marae in Lower Hutt.
- May 13, 2022
The murder that ripped a town apart
The killing a 15-year-old schoolgirl left a rural community in tatters and drove a pastor into hiding.
- May 5, 2022
Cabaret Confessions
For a few weird months in 1991, Adam Dudding played piano for New Zealand’s most celebrated female impersonator. But when he went in search of memories of Diamond Lil, he found a strange, tragic tale of opera, filthy double entendres – and alleged sex crimes.
- April 29, 2022
The Disappearing River
It was one meeting, in one town, about one river. But it was the flash point for a debate consuming rural New Zealand - How do we conserve our fresh water and our economy?
- April 22, 2022
The Secret History of New Zealand's Indiana Jones
During WWII, Edgar 'Sandy' Sanders was part of an elite Allied unit operating behind enemy lines. After the war, he became a treasure hunter.
- April 15, 2022
The Vanishing of Allan Woodford
Thirty-seven years ago, Allan Woodford walked out the door of his home in the middle of the night and disappeared forever.
- April 8, 2022
The Short Game
There has been a surprising emergence of competitive minigolf and putting towards representing New Zealand.
- April 1, 2022
Premmies: Raising too-tiny humans
Over 16 years, Stuff reporter Nikki Macdonald has followed five families with children born before 28 weeks gestation. These are their stories.
- March 25, 2022
Framed for murder: Episode 2 of 2
(Two-episode special – make sure you listen to Episode One first!) When David Lyttle’s best friend disappeared, police accused Lyttle of murder, then lured him into a fantasy world to get him to confess. This is Mike White’s investigation into an undercover operation that went way too far.
- March 25, 2022
Framed for murder: Episode 1 of 2
When David Lyttle’s best friend disappeared, police accused Lyttle of murder, then lured him into a fantasy world to get him to confess. This is Mike White’s investigation into an undercover operation that went way too far. (Episode One of a two-episode special.)
- March 17, 2022
Guy Hatchard and the Antivax Empire
The strange story of the man who pivoted from complaining about “bullet-hard” lentils to becoming a leading voice in New Zealand’s anti-vax movement.
- March 12, 2022
The Gospel According to Ruby Tui
Black Ferns sevens player Ruby Tui shot to international fame last year on the back of some star turns during post-match interviews at the Tokyo Olympics. Since then, she's cultivated a deeper public persona.
- March 4, 2022
The Murder of Lisa Blakie - Lone Kill or Gang Hit?
In February 2000, 20-year-old Lisa Blakie was murdered after she started hitchhiking towards the West Coast. The man convicted of the killing remains in jail, but some say police have the wrong man.
- February 25, 2022
The Great Wellington Flat Hunt
It’s a student rite of passage: first year in the halls, second year flatting. But in Wellington, finding a flat has never been more expensive, or the students more desperate. This is the story of five students, embarking on the annual quest.
- February 18, 2022
The Killing of James Dorgan
In the early hours of August 27, 1921, Constable James Dorgan was shot while investigating a possible burglary in downtown Timaru. His death is the only unsolved murder of a police officer in New Zealand, but new evidence points to a suspect close to home.
- January 21, 2022
Billy the Hunted One
For 236 days across 2008 and 2009, William Stewart was the most wanted man in New Zealand. In that time he became so notorious he inspired a folk song and his own T-shirt. But the reality was much darker. This is the true story of Billy the Hunted One.
- January 14, 2022
The Berserk Incident
In 2011, a Norwegian yacht sank off the coast of Antarctica during a storm. Three of its crew were lost. A decade on, a Stuff investigation finds new revelations about why the yacht sank and New Zealand's involvement.
- January 8, 2022
Punching Above His Weight
From crime boss, to circus act boxer, to relentless force for good. Dave Letele's rollercoaster life is finally on the level.
- December 31, 2021
The Strange Case of the Christchurch Horse Fiend
A macabre killer targeting horses terrorised Christchurch at the end of the 19th century. Who was the horse fiend, whose spree spanned a decade and drew comparisons with Jack the Ripper?
- December 23, 2021
A Solitary Murder
On December 14, 1927, 82-year-old André Jose was bludgeoned to death in a Stewart Island boarding house. His death is the only known homicide on the island.
- December 17, 2021
Metoo and the New Zealand Drama School
They say they were traumatised at Toi Whakaari. This is the story of a group of students who helped force New Zealand's national drama school to overhaul its sexual harassment and bullying policies.
- December 10, 2021
Safety on the Pae
Kāwhia, in Waikato, is the ancestral home of the Tainui tribe. 100 years ago, it battled to keep the influenza pandemic at bay. Today, it is adopting a unique way of keeping Covid-19 out.
- December 4, 2021
The Madness and Genius of Tarras International Airport
For two years, a small team at Christchurch Airport plotted an audacious strike – to move in on their rival's territory. This is the unlikely story of the plan to build an international airport in a tiny town in Central Otago.
- November 26, 2021
Fried Chicken: A Love Story
Covid-19 lockdowns exposed something approaching a national fixation with KFC. Why are Kiwis so obsessed with fried chicken? The Long Read examines the light and dark sides of our collective fascination.
- November 19, 2021
The Sins of the Father
In 1991, Noeleen Marinovich was abandoned during her pregnancy by a local priest, who left her fighting a financial battle with the Catholic Church. Twenty-seven years later, Noeleen was murdered by their son.
- November 13, 2021
What Happened to Carolina Lewis?
Carolina Lewis had her whole life ahead of her, then she was gone. For two years, her family kept her story close, hoping for justice. But their pleas for a better investigation into Carolina’s death are yet to be answered.
- November 5, 2021
Still Down the Covid Rabbit Hole
Stuff journalist Charlie Mitchell reports once more from deep in the alternate universe of Covid-19 conspiracies. This time, the confounding case of a small group of doctors opposed to vaccination and other public health measures.
- October 29, 2021
Big Brother is Watching (and Listening)
A Stuff reporter was alarmed to discover his car's dashcam had been recording trips for years, long before he bought it. How far is too far for surveillance?
- October 22, 2021
The Flying Phoenix
A mysterious group called the Flying Phoenix Trust spared no expense building a large compound on farmland near Waihi. A decade on, the $50m complex is mainly used for school camps and the odd retreat. Who's behind it?
- October 16, 2021
The Price of Fish
The Antipodean albatross will be functionally extinct in 30 years. This is the story of how US supermarkets are unwittingly helping to kill New Zealand's most endangered bird.
- October 8, 2021
Why has James Bond never been to New Zealand?
In 60 years of saving the world, 007 has visited more than 50 countries, but he has never been to New Zealand. Why not? Despite our natual beauty and burgeoning film industry, is Aotearoa too bland for Bond?
- October 1, 2021
Love Under Fire
The untold story of Major David Foote - the New Zealand army nurse who wrote a goodbye letter to his daughter, then risked his life to save others in Afghanistan.
- September 24, 2021
The Mystery of Mrs Muir
When two historians set out to learn more about the first coach of the Silver Ferns, they didn't even know her first name. Their journey took them from the netball courts of Wellington to the Central Otago goldfields.
- September 17, 2021
The Whaanga Sisters
Three sisters, Mei, Charmaine and Francess Whaanga, were children when their whānau moved from the East Coast to the city. Now in their 60s, they, like so many children of the great Māori urban migration, are without homes of their own.
- September 10, 2021
The Hoarder's Treasure
No Data Added
- September 4, 2021
Down the Covid Rabbit Hole
Our intrepid reporter dives headlong into the world of Covid conspiracies and emerges to tell the tale.
- August 27, 2021
The Trouble With Truby King
Plunket's founder is widely acknowledged as a white supremacist who established the society to help preserve the "master race". More than 100 years on, can Plunket shake its racist past?
- August 21, 2021
After the Tampa
From refugee to Fulbright scholar. Abbas Nazari was seven years old when he fled the Taliban and was rescued from a sinking boat by the cargo ship Tampa.
- August 12, 2021
The Springbok Tour: 40 Years of Pain
Forty years on, protesters recall the heart-stopping moments and enduring consequences of the 1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand.
- August 7, 2021
The Awful Secret of Flight 149
The terrible truth about why 385 passengers and crew were held hostage by Saddam Hussein; and the New Zealand journalist who refused to let the story go.
- July 30, 2021
The Battle of Aotearoa
More and more of us call our home New Zealand Aotearoa, but for some the word brings an element of contention.
- July 23, 2021
Enduring: The Restoration of Te Urewera
Seven years since Te Urewera was officially recognised as a legal person, her people – Ngāi Tūhoe – are facing up to the wounds of colonisation and a Crown partnership haunted by the past.
- July 15, 2021
The Nazi and the Mountain
The pioneer behind Canterbury's Mt Hutt ski field hid a dark past on his immigration forms. Now, the woman who was closest to him is breaking her silence.
- July 8, 2021
The trial of Maketū
Nearly 180 years ago, at a central Auckland intersection, a Māori teenager was hanged before hundreds of settlers, changing the course of history.
- July 2, 2021
Kei roto i ō tātou toto – It’s in our Blood
Moko kauae is resurging in New Zealand. One woman's journey to receiving the traditional Māori chin tattoo, and a reporter grappling with her own identity.
- June 25, 2021
The Revenge of the Zombie Rivers
New Zealand’s braided rivers have been systematically strangled, and in some case, left behind zombie rivers. Now, academics and scientists are re-imagining what it means to live with rivers.
- June 18, 2021
Peak Barber
How chemical weapons, economic theory and the internet combined to squeeze ten barbershops into one Auckland suburb.
- June 10, 2021
Bunny Boilers
Skulduggery, bullying and death threats in New Zealand's rabbit breeding community.
- June 3, 2021
The Great New Zealand Kea Cull
How a roguish, beloved native bird was nearly eradicated.
- May 27, 2021
Life on the Edge of the Olympics
Thousands of people have strived to represent New Zealand at the Olympic Games. Just 1371 have succeeded. This is the story of Joseph Millar's decade-long quest to be one of them.
- May 20, 2021
Plan B and the 'Infodemic'
One public health expert still believes New Zealand’s widely-lauded response to Covid-19 has been a disaster. How did Dr Simon Thornley become the “extreme outlier” in his profession and a hero to anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists?
