Stories by Susan Strongman
News
Covid-19: Big numbers head to coastal baches
Pauanui local Peter Wilson didn't sound too worried yesterday about the numbers of people heading to the coastal Coromandel town, but concerns have now increased.
Consent granted for Erebus national memorial
Resource consent for the construction of an Erebus national memorial in an Auckland park has been granted, despite opposition from local residents.
Work from home: NZ may escape China's slow internet frustrations
Internet speeds and cyber security will be put to the test as Covid-19 sees increasing numbers of New Zealanders working and studying from home while self-isolating and social distancing.
No public submissions on Erebus memorial consent
The public will not be able to make submissions in the Erebus memorial resource consent process.
Giant skeleton searchers call off dig
A secretive group who spent four years tunnelling into the side of a country road in search of a mythical race of pre-Polynesian giants' skeletons have called off their dig, Susan Strongman reports. Audio
Concerns over secret search for giants' bones near Huntly
A secretive group excavating a cave they believe is filled with a race of 8-foot-tall pre-Polynesian giants' skeletons have iwi and archaeologists worried.
US will extradite NZ man on sex trafficking charges if he's in the country
A California prosecutor says the US government will seek to extradite a NZ man facing child sex trafficking and sex trafficking charges if he is found to be in Aotearoa.
More claims against porn operation run by NZ men
At least 100 women have come forward with new claims they were coerced to appear in sex videos as part of a multi-million dollar online porn operation which was run by two New Zealand men.
'You don't drink a glass of wine next to a grave'
Protesters say an Erebus memorial in Parnell rose gardens would make them sad at a place they want to drink wine and climb trees, and would ruin the look of the park. Some victims' families are… Video
New Zealand's dying towns
Now We Are Five (Million) - While the country's rising population is due to hit 5 million next year, Kawhia, and many small rural towns like it, are dying. Susan Strongman asks why.
Patients thousands of times more likely to be restrained in Japanese hospitals
*This story has been corrected. On a given day, the proportion of the Japanese population restrained in psychiatric facilities is more than 3000 times the restrained proportion of the New...
The New Zealanders holding vigils for chickens
Meet the people showing love and compassion to animals about to be slaughtered, as part of a global movement that has arrived in our country. Video
Kiwi who took NZ's obsession with adventure tourism to Japan
In 1994, Mike Harris finished uni and headed to Japan to ski. He now owns an adventure sports business that turns over $5m a year. Susan Strongman heads to a small mountain town in Japan to find out…
More public funds for anti-abortion groups not ruled out
The minister responsible for a Crown grants scheme has gone to ground after RNZ revealed more than $335,000 has been allocated so far to two anti-abortion counselling charities.
Anti-abortion charities received $300k taxpayer money
Internal Affairs has approved hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of community grants to anti-abortion pregnancy counselling organisations over the past 15 years. Susan Strongman reports.
New Zealand's best young plumber is taking on the world
Lauren Phillips, a 21-year-old apprentice from Invercargill, is competing at the WorldSkills tournament in Russia this week. Is she nervous? 'Not really'.
NZ woman's campaign sees drop in physical restraints in Japan
A woman whose son died after being tied down in a Japanese psychiatric hospital says physical restraint use has dropped 9 percent since she started campaigning against its use. Video, Audio
Inside the anti-5G movement
Scientists say that 5G is safe, but a small, vocal group of people insist it causes cancer. Susan Strongman speaks to two of the rollout's most rowdy opponents.
Abortion removal from Crimes Act petition gains support
In less than a week, more than 4000 people have signed a petition asking MPs to remove abortion from the Crimes Act.
British woman forced to pay more than $2k for abortion pills
A visiting British woman considered illegally importing drugs bought online to avoid paying more than $2000 to legally access two abortion pills after a contraception failure.
Benneydale vs Te Māniaiti: Entire town against name change
Should a King Country town change its name? Susan Strongman heads to the heartland and can't find a single person who backs a new proposal.
Person with wrong sex on birth certificate feels 'like a fraud'
A gender non-binary person trying to correct the sex on their birth certificate has spent six months communicating with the Births, Deaths and Marriages office, with little success.
Sex self-identification debate a 'cesspool of harmful stereotypes'
A toxic debate rages over a law that will make it easier for gender diverse people to change the sex on their birth certificates. Susan Strongman enters the fray.
Why we're ignoring climate change
It's a dark cloud hanging over our civilisation, but there's still a chance to act. So why do we all have our heads in the sand? Susan Strongman reports.
Using illegally imported abortion kits 'potentially life threatening'
A doctor who performs abortions in Christchurch says she's "disturbed" people are illegally importing abortion medicine.