Country Life
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Country Life
The Country Life team take you all over the motu to hear the extraordinary stories of every day rural New Zealand.
Seneste episoder
417 episoder
FULL SHOW: Country Life for 20 February 2026
Country Life heads to Waipara for the Underground Festival, looks at the tradition of whiskey making in Southland and meets a biochar-maker north of W...
Turning brewery gunk and forest junk into something good for the soil
Hops from a Wellington brewery, cotton offcuts from a fashion label and forestry slash has turned Matt Welton into a bit of a Heath Robinson. His firs...
Moonshine matriarch: Southland's tradition of distilling Scottish whisky
A look inside the Hokonui Moonshine Museum where the manufacture of this legendary spirit continues in the modern day.
You can find photos and r...
Rural News Wrap for 20 February 2026
A round up of news from RNZ's rural news team
You can find more from RNZ's rural news team, here.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more...
A festival for farmers
Underground Festival organiser Fran Bailey chats with Anisha Satya about the idea, the execution, and what makes it different from other farming forum...
BONUS: The Detail - The wine industry headache
Too many grapes, international headwinds and a dramatic drop in drinkers is proving problematic for our wine producers.
Perfect growing conditio...
FULL SHOW: Country Life for 13 February 2026
Country Life gets the latest on the beef market and cherry harvest, learns how pairing solar and horticulture could help with growing and joins one of...
Ruby jewels of Otago a Lunar New Year treat
A look at how Clyde Orchard's recent cherry and stonefruit harvest has gone and a tour of a new purpose built accommodation for its RSE workers.
...
Growing a farmer - Archie's life as a Pāmu apprentice
Archie's 17 and an apprentice to Micky, champion shearer and Pāmu farm manager on King Country sheep and beef farm Te Wharua. We head out mustering an...
New study into growing crops under solar panels
Growing crops alongside solar farming is a new field for New Zealand, so researchers here have been analysing studies of these sorts of systems around...
Rural News Wrap for 13 February 2026
A wrap of the week's news from the primary sector.
You can find more from RNZ's rural news team, here.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for...
A yarn on the farm with beef farmer Craig Pickens
A little bit of luck as well as good management is behind our guest's entry into the roaring beef market. Craig Pickens has been farming in King Count...
FULL SHOW: Country Life for 6 February 2026
This week the Country Life team takes you riverside to find out about an unusual ferry which has been running for 130 years, they delve into the scien...
A Little Route 66 on State Highway 8
Producer Mark Leishman goes on a personal journey to Burkes Pass, a place with deep family ties. A fire in the 1990s destroyed most of the Burkes Pass...
Shaking it all up in a greenhouse trial
Researchers from the Bioeconomy Science Institute are investigating whether they can apply the vibrations of insects to disrupt pests in the greenhous...
130 years: Take a punt on the Tuapeka Mouth Ferry
The southern hemisphere's only still operational river ferry celebrates 130 years.
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this e...
Rural News Wrap for 6 February 2026
A wrap of the week's news from the primary sector.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
FULL SHOW: Country Life for 30 January 2026
Country Life is back for 2026 with a classic tale of the bush, bullocks and camp ovens at an old woolshed in King Country. The team check in on a fore...
Camp ovens, bullockies and other tales from the bush
Old-timer Lew Pickens' passions hark back to his days clearing land in Northland - camp oven cooking and driving bullock teams. He has a woolshed full...
Ikea owner's first New Zealand forest: 'Timber production first and foremost'
Ingka Investments, the parent company of furniture giant Ikea, now owns 30,000 hectares of forestry in Aotearoa. It's first purchase saw the conversio...
Growing demand for on-farm fun from international tourists
Agritourism NZ's Marijke Dunselman outlines how farmers and growers can take advantage of growing global demand for authentic experiences on the farm....
On the Farm for 30 January 2025
A wrap of conditions on farms and orchards around the country.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
FULL SHOW: Country Life for 19 December 2025
Country Life heads to an arboretum where dozens of different types of trees are grown, including a few for Christmas. We travel up the Whanganui River...
Life's a strawberry patch with the Roys of Piopio
The Roy family all pitch in getting berries from orchard to Christmas plate over the festive season. They have been growing berries in Piopio for more...
RD6: Life along the Whanganui River
Rural postie Tracy Marshall takes visitors along her mail delivery route which winds along the Whanganui River.
You can find photos and r...
How planting exotic trees can enable native trees to grow
"You can come here and see nearly every type of forestry system that can be applied," Blair Jamieson says of Tāmata Hauhā's demonstration farm near Pa...
Rural News Wrap for 19 December 2025
A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
FULL SHOW: Country Life for 12 December 2025
Country Life this week visits Cornwall Park Farm, the farm within New Zealand's largest city, and heads to the Bay of Plenty to meet animal trainer Be...
The trainer turning animal tricks into teen confidence
Chickens play football and sheep wave their hooves at Bex Tasker's place. She used to be a dog handler with customs and now uses her expertise in anim...
Cornwall Park: The farm within the heart of a city
Cornwall Park farm is something of a hidden gem in the heart of Auckland City. But being a farm in the city comes with specific challenges.
Rural News Wrap for 12 December 2025
A wrap of the week's news from the primary sector
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
BONUS: The Detail - Calls for urgent action over deer control
There's a lot of hand-wringing but few answers when it comes to culling New Zealand's rapidly expanding deer population. Our friends over at The Detai...
FULL SHOW: Country Life for 5 December 2025
This week Country Life is at the Wayleggo Cup, a trans Tasman sheep dog trial, meets a record-breaking Angus bull-breeder and opens the door on an unu...
The Wayleggo Cup - a Trans-Tasman sheepdog test
How do sheepdogs and handling techniques vary between New Zealand and Australia? The best teams battle it out at a Trans-Tasman dog trial contest.
Cash cow: Tangihau Angus' record-breaking bulls
Tangihau Angus near Gisborne has a habit of breaking records. Last year it set the top price for New Zealand bulls at $135,000. This year it's done it...
Risqué and Rural
How an unusual business selling adult toys has found opportunity on the main street of Eketāhuna
You can find photos and read more about...
On the Farm for 5 December 2025
A round up of conditions on farms and orchards around the country
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
FULL SHOW: Country Life for 28 November 2025
Country Life visits two farms embracing agritourism - a Bay of Plenty avocado grower and a Hawke's Bay hill country station offering farm walks. The t...
Hawke's Bay farm's agritourism 'terroir'
Set on the coast of Hawke's Bay, Te Aratipi Station offers walkers on the farm views across the bay, from the Māhia Peninsula right around to Mt Ruape...
Spreading the word about avocados
Tour groups gather under the huge avocado trees belonging to orchardists Tim Rosamond and Michele Ricou to learn about the fruit and how its grown. Th...