Country Life
The Country Life team take you all over the motu to hear the extraordinary stories of every day rural New Zealand.
Hosted and produced by Sally Round, Gianina Schwanecke and Duncan Smith
On air:
Fridays at 7.00pm, encore on Saturdays at 6.00am on RNZ National
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New episode
New episode
This week Country Life talks to researchers who say there’s potential for the brown kiwi to become a pest patroller in orchards and vineyards. Mark Leishman pulls on his Country Life gumboots to meet an entrepreneur behind an intriguing gateway made of the toughest timber – ironbark, and a visit to a Waikato farming family who’ve been integrating robotics and automation into their dairy operation.
New episode
Tech is key on this Tirau dairy farm
Tech is key on this Tirau dairy farm
When it comes to farming, planning for the next season today is key, says the Coubrough family. The 5th generation dairying family is are all on the same page - they want robotics to milk the cows for them.
Ironbark - the wood as hard as steel
Ironbark - the wood as hard as steel
Ever wondered what happened to some of the damaged timber from the Lyttelton wharves after the Canterbury earthquakes? The tough ironbark they were made from was too good not to be rescued and Oxford's Steve Evans was just the man for the job, as Mark Leishman discovered.
Kiwi on pest patrol
Kiwi on pest patrol
Could growers harness the kiwi as a way of reducing pests attacking their crops? A recent study has filmed the endangered birds entering vineyards and orchards at night to feast on beetles, weevils, grass grub and other insects.
Rural News Wrap for 17 October
Rural News Wrap for 17 October
A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector.
FULL SHOW: Country Life for 10 October 2025
FULL SHOW: Country Life for 10 October 2025
This week Country Life is in Marlborough's back country on Molesworth Station, we check out the sale action at the Feilding saleyards and learn more about Chinese mooncakes, or suncakes as one gardener views them.
From the Archive: Mustering at Molesworth
From the Archive: Mustering at Molesworth
It's an early start for the musterers at Molesworth Station. The bulls are out with the cows for the mating season and everyone needs to beat the heat. Country Life producer Sally Round spent a day with the stockmen, the farmer and the cook, peeling back some of the mystique of New Zealand's most famous farm.
The 'big money' changing hands at the Feilding saleyards
The 'big money' changing hands at the Feilding saleyards
Global demand for red meat is driving strong prices for sheep and cattle, some of the best former Feilding farmer Eric Linklater has seen in over 20 years of guiding tours at the local saleyards.
Rural News Wrap for 10 October 2025
Rural News Wrap for 10 October 2025
A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector.
Mooncakes under a southern sun
Mooncakes under a southern sun
David Ruan says the colourful vegetables growing in his garden are like little cakes relying on the sun for energy, hence the name Suncakes Gardens.
FULL SHOW: Country Life for 3 October 2025
FULL SHOW: Country Life for 3 October 2025
This week Country Life is inside one of Fonterra's large dairy plants and meets a Canterbury farming couple making beautiful wool coats from their family's flock.
The Clip: Wool to Wear
The Clip: Wool to Wear
Driven by a desire to find a pure New Zealand wool coat, and to find more use for the bales of wool sitting idle in the shearing shed, Charlotte Bell started her fashion business The Clip. She and husband Hamish farm in Hakataramea Valley in Canterbury
The high-tech dairy hub feeding China's sweet tooth
The high-tech dairy hub feeding China's sweet tooth
A growing taste for pastries, cakes and dairy-topped drinks in China and southeast Asia is fuelling demand for New Zealand-made cream cheese. Country Life takes a tour of Fonterra's high-tech factory at Darfied to see how it's made.
The art of the auction
The art of the auction
Feilding livestock agent and saleyards auctioneer Alex Stewart on breaking into an old man's game, human calculators and conducting the sale.
On the Farm for 3 October 2025
On the Farm for 3 October 2025
A wrap of conditions on farms and orchards around the country.
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