You've got kids and devices, and it's a nightmare. WHAT WILL THEY PICK ` THE GADGETS OR THE GAMES? HMM. BUT ARE DEVICES GIVING OUR KIDS DISEASES? WE HAVE GOT THE BEST PRODUCT, IT'S FREE, IT'S GOOD FOR KIDS, AND IT'S REALLY FUN. PLUS ` YOU ARE HUNTING A PREY, BUT YOU RESPECT THAT PREY FOR ITS POWER AND ITS BEAUTY AND ITS GRACE. BUT AFTER A HUNDRED YEARS OF TALL TALES, HAVE WE FOUND THE BEST 'ONE THAT GOT AWAY' STORY OF ALL TIME? IT'S GOT THIS THING HERE RACING, ABSOLUTELY RACING. AND ` YAY! THIS GUY SAVED ONE KAURI. SO WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR 370 MORE? THEY'RE HUGE, SO STRONG, BUT THEY WON'T BE WHEN THE CHAINSAWS ARRIVE. 6PM CAPTIONS BY IMOGEN STAINES AND ASHLEE SCHOLEFIELD. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2015 DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF SEVEN SHARP, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. It's been a week of the kauri tree this week. Now we know it's not 500 years old. Was at the age you were backing? It economic principles, and it is scarcity. There are a few trees of that age in Auckland. We are all less passionate about the tree. WE'RE STILL KEEPING AN EYE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN VANUATU, AS ONE OF THE WORST CYCLONES ON RECORD BEARS DOWN ON THE ISLANDS. CYCLONE PAM IS EXPECTED TO REACH CATEGORY-FIVE STRENGTH WITHIN 24 HOURS. HOMEOPATHY DOES NOT IMPROVE PEOPLE'S HEALTH AT ALL, ACCORDING TO NEW RESEARCH FROM AUSTRALIA. SCIENTISTS SAY THERE IS NO EVIDENCE HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES WORK ANY BETTER THAN A PLACEBO. AND HERE'S SOME LESSONS ON HOW NOT TO COACH KIDS' SPORT ` THIS RUSSIAN COACH SAYS HE WAS TRYING TO TEACH THE YOUNG BOY HOW TO KICK THE BALL PROPERLY. YEAH, RIGHT (!) AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING. Homoeopathy is one of those things. People get really intense about it. I've had a headache all day, and you said to grip my hand. That's not homoeopathic; that's the pressure point. WE SHOULD PROBABLY TALK ABOUT YOUR KIDS, BECAUSE CHANCES ARE, BEFORE THEY SETTLED DOWN TO ENJOY THIS SHOW TONIGHT, THEY HAVE SPENT THE AFTERNOON GLUED TO SOME KIND OF DEVICE. THAT IS NOT NEWS. AND NEITHER ARE THE RISING RATES OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY, CHILDHOOD DEPRESSION AND BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS. SO, IS THERE A LINK? GILL HIGGINS MET A MAN WHO SAYS YES, AND WHO'S STARTED UP 'PROJECT WILD THING' TO GIVE THE WORLD A MAKEOVER. FUNKY MUSIC THE LUCKY STUDENTS OF ROOM 20. TODAY THEY'RE GETTING FREE TIME WHEN THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY LIKE. FUNKY MUSIC CONTINUES SO THIS IS YOUR CLASS OUT HERE. WE'RE GIVING THEM ABOUT 20 MINUTES. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT THEM TO DO? WHEN IT GETS TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'VE EXHAUSTED THEIR ATTENTION SPAN, I WOULD EXPECT PROBABLY THE BOYS TO MAYBE GET HOLD OF SOME OF THE PE GEAR. UPBEAT MUSIC SO WITH HIDDEN CAMERAS ROLLING, WE WATCH. THEY SIT, THEY GOOGLE, THEY SNAP AND SNAPCHAT, SOME READ, BUT THE BALL LIES IDLE, THE TREES UNCLIMBED. WHO WAS ON THEIR DEVICES DURING THAT TIME? I WAS. ME. IT'S EXACTLY THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOUR THAT GOT ONE MAN FROM THE UK STARTING A WORLDWIDE CAMPAIGN. I CALLED MYSELF THE MARKETING DIRECTOR OF NATURE, WHICH IS SORT OF A WEIRD, EGOTISTICAL JOB TO GIVE YOURSELF, BUT I GUESS THE THOUGHT PROCESS WAS TO SAY, 'WHAT IS IT THAT IVY AND ALBIE ` MY KIDS ` LOVE DOING?' AND THE ANSWER IS THEY LOVE WATCHING TELLY AND THEY LOVE ELECTRONIC GAMES. I LOVE SITTING IN FRONT OF IT ALL DAY LONG. WHY? > IT'S SO RELAXING. AND I REALISED THAT BOTH OF THOSE THINGS HAVE GOT BRILLIANT MARKETING DEPARTMENTS, AND I THOUGHT, 'WELL, HOW COME THERE ISN'T A REALLY GOOD MARKETING DEPARTMENT 'FOR THE GOOD STUFF, IE NATURE?' THE MUTTON BIRDS' 'NATURE' UNLIKE THE BILLIONS FORKED OUT BY THE LIKES OF APPLE, NATURE HAS NO BUDGET. SO WHAT WE ENDED UP DOING WAS GOING DOWN THE GUERRILLA MARKETING ROUTE, AND TRYING TO BE PROVOCATIVE AND CHEEKY. # IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. YOU'VE BOUGHT ENOUGH IPADS NOW. THAT'S ENOUGH IPADS. THAT'S THE APPLE STORE. # FORGET ABOUT THE PRICE TAG. # CAN I GIVE YOU ONE OF MY LEAFLETS? OF COURSE, IN BRITISH CITIES THERE'S THE VERY PRESSING PROBLEM OF SPACE. THIS IS THE GREEN GRASS. IT'S NOT A VERY BIG SPACE, IS IT? MY DOG COMES ON HERE A LOT. SHE LIKES IT. NO SHORTAGE OF SPACE HERE. SO HOW DO WE FARE ON OUTDOOR PLAY COMPARED WITH OTHER COUNTRIES? SURPRISINGLY, AUSTRALIA RANKS VERY BADLY ` ALMOST WORSE THAN THE UK. THE US DOES VERY BADLY AS WELL IN TERMS OF OUTDOOR TIME. SO I'D SAY YOU GET A B-MINUS, YOUR COUNTRY, IN TERMS OF GETTING YOUR KIDS OUTDOORS, BUT YOU'RE ON THE SLIPPERY SLOPE. # SO MANY PEOPLE IN TOWN. # IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A TECH-SAVVY GENERATION, EVEN IF IT MAKES OUR SECRET FILMING... THAT'S THE LENS OF A GO-PRO. ...A BIT MORE OF A CHALLENGE. I'M FILMING THE CAMERA FILMING ITSELF. BUT MAYBE THERE'S TOO MUCH. THEY USE DEVICES AT SCHOOL. THEN WHAT DO THEY DO AT HOME? WATCH TV AND GO ON THE COMPUTER. PLAY ON DEVICES OR READ. IPAD. NORMALLY EITHER DANCE OR PLAY ON MY DEVICE. SO LOOKING AT THE COMPARISON WITH YOUR PARENTS' TIME, DO YOU THINK YOU GO OUTSIDE AS MUCH AS THEY DID? ALL: NO. MGMT'S 'KIDS' WE CAN'T JUST BLAME SCREEN TIME FOR THE DECLINE IN OUTSIDE PLAY. THERE'S ALSO... PARENTS WHO ARE MANICALLY BUSY. YOU'VE ALSO GOT FEAR OF HEALTH AND SAFETY. BUT FOR THESE KIWI KIDS, HEALTH AND SAFETY ISN'T THE ISSUE. IT'S SCREEN TIME. IT'S OBSESSIVE. WHEN YOU COMPLETE SOMETHING, YOU CAN GET 500 GOLD COINS AND A SWORD, BUT IN REAL LIFE, THE REWARD LEVEL IS NOT AS BIG. AND YET LOOK AT THE ANSWER TO THIS. SO IF YOU THINK OF THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IT WAS? WE HAD A PICNIC ONCE IN THE HOLIDAYS WITH LOTS OF MY FRIENDS. NETBALL ` WE WON OUR GRADE. ICE SKATING. FISHING. (LAUGHS) NONE OF YOU SAID SPENDING TIME ON YOUR DEVICE WAS THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE. THAT'D BE THE WORST. IN FAIRNESS, ROOM 20 DID EVENTUALLY FIND THEIR FEET, AND ONCE ONE WAS UP, MOST JOINED IN. JUST WHAT THE WILD NETWORK IS AFTER. WE HAVE GOT THE BEST PRODUCT ` OUR PRODUCTS FREE, IT'S REALLY GOOD FOR CHILDREN AND IT'S REALLY FUN. That makes me feel a bit sad. I like the idea that kids will naturally go outside. Maybe it's just a stage. We have take time at home. Everybody worries about the next generation. The world will carry on. We need to be more proactive. We kick them out. On a website with got some information about Project wild thing. And there are details on app. COMING UP ON SEVEN SHARP ` WHAT SORT HAVE FISHERMAN WOULD YOU HAVE TO BE? PRETTY KEEN. (CHUCKLES) YOU'D HAVE TO BE KEEN. KEENER THAN MICHAEL HOLLAND, APPARENTLY. ABOUT 110 K'S, THEY RECKON. WE'RE GONNA LET IT GO. THE BIGGER WE ARE, THE MORE PEOPLE WE REACH; THE MORE PEOPLE WE REACH, THE MORE PEOPLE WE CAN HELP. KELLY'S STILL SMILING ` FIND OUT HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE A VERY SPECIAL SEVEN SHARP VIEWER'S MADE. The pain if you have got a headache is phenomenal. The pain is distracting you from the pain in your head or there is a link between the pressure point and your headache. If you have no headache and you squeeze your hand, you will have a sore head. DOESN'T EVERY FISHERMAN HAVE A TALE OF THE BIG ONE WHO GOT AWAY? WELL, MICHAEL HOLLAND MIGHT JUST HAVE TO STORY TO END THEM ALL. YOU SEE, WE SENT MICHAEL TO DO A STORY MARKING THE 100-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF MARLIN FISHING IN THE BAY OF ISLANDS. LET'S JUST SAY IT DIDN'T END WELL. FUNKY MUSIC THEY'VE BEEN LANDING THE BIGGEST OF THE BIG... WOW, THAT IS A MONSTER. ...HERE IN THE BAY OF ISLANDS FOR EXACTLY 100 HUNDRED YEARS. FUNKY MUSIC CONTINUES THIS, THE LIGHT-HEARTEDNESS... TAKE THE PRESSURE AS THE ROD GOES DOWN. ...OF SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN CHASING MARLIN ALL HIS LIFE. AND THIS,... LINE WHIRRS ...THE EARNESTNESS OF SOMEONE WHO HASN'T. MORE ON THAT INEPTITUDE LATER, WHICH FLIES IN THE FACE OF THOSE WHO'S STRENGTH AND SKILL GAVE INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION TO BIG GAME FISHING IN OUR WARM NORTHERN WATERS. LEADING THE HONOUR ROLL, THE ALMA G, BUILT IN THE 1920S SPECIALLY FOR GAME FISHING. FOR A LONG, LONG TIME THIS BOAT WAS THE MAGIC BOAT OF THE BAY OF ISLANDS. CLIVE ALRIDGE'S DAD, NIPPER, WORKING AS A DECKHAND ON THE ALMA G FOR WEALTHY AMERICAN AUTHOR AND FISHING FANATIC ZANE GREY. ZANE GREY REALLY PUT THE BAY OF ISLANDS AND BIG GAME FISHING ON THE WORLD MAP. HE HAD A LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE ALMA G. A LOVE AFFAIR? > YEAH, YEAH. SURE. IF YOU WERE FISHING ON THE ALMA G, YOU WERE NOBBING IT WITH THE BEST OF THEM? CERTAINLY WAS, BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME VERY FAMOUS FISHERMEN AND FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO FISHED OFF THE ALMA G. COME ON, THEN ` DROP A NAME. LORD AND LADY MOUNTBATTEN. MM, THAT'S NOT BAD FOR STARTERS. BOTH CHUCKLE ZANE GREY ROMANTICISING HIS ADVENTURES HERE IN HIS 1926 CLASSIC, 'TALES OF THE ANGLER'S ELDORADO.' ARCHIVE: HE'S ON, AND HE'S A BEAUTY. THOSE EARLY EXPLOITS ALL THE MORE IMPRESSIVE GIVEN THE RUDIMENTARY EQUIPMENT. WHAT SORT OF FISHERMAN WOULD YOU HAVE TO BE? PRETTY KEEN. (CHUCKLES) YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE KEEN. AND THEY WERE KEEN. LIKE, IT WAS A BIG DEAL, 13 AND 14 MARLIN A DAY ON A ROD AND REEL LIKE THIS. (LAUGHS) PRETTY GOOD. BOTH LAUGH AND WHILE THESE OLD TROPHY SHOTS MAY OFFEND SOME ` 70% TO 80% OF MARLIN CAUGHT IN THE NORTH IS NOW TAGGED AND RELEASED, WITH MUCH OF THE REST HEADED FOR THE SMOKE ROOM. WHEN WE PULL IT OUT, WE ARE GONNA HAVE A NICE, MOIST, SUCCULENT PIECE OF SMOKED MARLIN. FALL APART IN YOUR MOUTH? FALL APART IN YOUR MOUTH, MELT AWAY. BOTH CHUCKLE LOUD SPEAKER: TWO, ONE, GO! ROARING AWAY RATHER THAN MELTING AWAY COMPETITORS IN THE APPROPRIATELY NAMED ZANE GREY ELDORADO TOURNAMENT. UPBEAT MUSIC 20 GRAND FOR THE HEAVIEST MARLIN ` NICE. YOU ARE HUNTING A PREY, BUT YOU RESPECT THAT PREY FOR ITS POWER AND ITS BEAUTY AND ITS GRACE. WE'VE GOT FOUR BRIGHTLY COLOURED LURES OFF THE BACK, AND WE ARE TROLLING 10 TO 12 NAUTICAL MILES OFF CAPE BRETT. NOW, ALL THE BLOKES ON BOARD ARE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE, BUT SOMEHOW, THEY HAVE DECIDED THAT IF THERE IS A STRIKE, IT'S THIS MUG IN THE CHAIR ` A MUG WHO'S FISHING SUCCESS EXTENDS ALL THE WAY TO SPRATS IN A BAIT CATCHER AS A KID. REEL WHIRRS WE'VE GOT A STRIPED MARLIN ON. IT DID SOME NICE JUMPS. 15 MINUTES AGO, THE CAMERAMAN WAS LYING SPRAWLED ON THIS DECK WITH CHRONIC SEA SICKNESS. HE'S COME ALIVE... IN A HURRY. UPBEAT MUSIC CONTINUES ABOUT 110 K'S THEY RECKON. WE'RE GONNA LET IT GO. WATCH THE HOOK ON THE FLOOR. THAT'S QUITE SOMETHING. I'M HAPPY TO SEE IT GO. IT'S A MAJESTIC CREATURE OF THE DEEP,... (PANTS) AND HE OR SHE LIVES TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY,... (PANTS) BUT IT'S GOT THIS THING HERE RACING, ABSOLUTELY RACING. SO WE'LL CHALK THAT UP AS THE ONE THAT SORT OF DID, SORT OF DIDN'T GET AWAY, THIS BLOKE HAPPY WITH A WHITEBOARD RATHER THAN A CARCASS. BUT FOR YOUR MERRIMENT, A STING IN THE TAIL ` OUR MARLIN ESTIMATED TO BE THE HEAVIEST REELED IN DURING THE TOURNAMENT. AND IN LETTING IT GO, SO WE SAID GOODBYE TO 20 GRAND. YIP, 20 THOU. GODSPEED, MY COSTLY, GRACEFUL FRIEND. GODSPEED. What an idiot! He would have been out the door. HOLLAND'S MARLIN ONE OF ONLY TWO CAUGHT DURING THE FOUR-DAY TOURNAMENT, THE OTHER, WEIGHING ABOUT 80 KGS, WAS ALSO TAGGED AND RELEASED, SO THE 20 GRAND'S HELD OVER TO NEXT YEAR. I would have struggled with that. There's something majestic. Anyone would have struggled physically. You eat Marlon? A bit. COMING UP ON SEVEN SHARP ` THEY'RE HUGE, SO STRONG, BUT THEY WON'T BE WHEN THE CHAINSAWS ARRIVE. YEP, FORGET ABOUT ONE KAURI UNDER THREAT. HOW ABOUT HUNDREDS OF THEM? AND... EXCUSE ME. CAN YOU JUST SAY THAT AGAIN? THE SURPRISE THAT'S KEPT A SMILE ON KELLY'S DIAL. SO, THE KAURI IN WEST AUCKLAND IS BEING SAVED. THAT'S GOOD NEWS! SO IF WE GOT THAT EXERCISED ABOUT ONE TREE, WHAT IF WE SHOWED YOU A STAND OF 400 OF THEM, ALL DESTINED FOR THE CHAINSAW? HERE'S TIM WILSON. # THEY PAVED PARADISE AND PUT UP A PARKING LOT. # THE PROTEST ANTHEM MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BIT RICKETY, BUT NOT THE PRIDE, AS ONE PLUCKY TREE-CLIMBER EXITS THE BOUGH HE SAVED. WAS IT THE REALISATION THAT KAURI, AS WELL AS THE CHILDREN, ARE OUR FUTURE? WAS IT RACHEL HUNTER'S NEW BOYFRIEND? DRAMATIC ORCHESTRAL MUSIC MEANWHILE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN, FAR FROM THE CIRCUS, SOME LITTLE KAURI WAIT TO MEET THEIR MAKER. CHAINSAW ROARS 370 OF THEM, THEREABOUTS. BELOVED BY WOOD PIGEONS, BY CICADAS ` LISTEN ` CICADAS CHIRP AND BELOVED BY WENDY COURT. WENDY TOOK ME TO SEE THEM. THEY'RE JUST BY HER JACUZZI. DEFINITELY NOT A TREE-HUGGER. < YOU'RE NOT A TREE-HUGGER? NO, I'M NOT A TREE-HUGGER. AN INTENSIVE CARE NURSE WHO ALSO DOES AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHTS AROUND THE GLOBE, WENDY WORKED THREE JOBS FOR FIVE YEARS TO BUY THE PROPERTY, IN PART BECAUSE SHE LOVES THE KAURI. THE KING OF THE FOREST. AND THEY FEEL SO SORT OF... OLD AND GNARLED. SO WOULD YOU AFTER 150 YEARS. THREE DAYS BEFORE WENDY MOVED IN, SHE GOT A LETTER. THE KAURI WERE TO BE BLITZED TO MAKE WAY FOR A NEW MOTORWAY TO NORTHLAND. NORTHLAND NEEDS JOBS AND PEOPLE, WHICH COME WITH ROADS. IT'S AN OLD ARGUMENT. ROADS VS TREES. PROGRESS VS NATURE. BUREAUCRATS VS PEOPLE LIKE WENDY COURT. SHE'S SPENT THREE YEARS FIGHTING WHAT SHE'S COME TO CALL 'THE HIGHWAY FROM HELL'. THEY COULD HAVE MOVED THE MOTORWAY 150M TO THE EAST AND SAVED THE KAURI, BUT THAT WOULD HAVE SENT IT PRETTY MUCH THROUGH HER HALLWAY. HORNS BEEP, TRAFFIC RUMBLES THERE WAS A HEARING. SO, YOU WERE HEARD FAIRLY? VERY FAIRLY. VERY FAIRLY. BUT WENDY DIDN'T WIN. NO ONE DID. THE MOTORWAY BECAME A VIADUCT GOING OVER THE TREES. MANY WERE SAVED, BUT AROUND 370... CHAINSAW ROARS ...WILL GET THE CHOP. COMPROMISE HURTS. YEAH, IT DOES. SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? JUST THAT IT'S KAURI TREES THAT ARE GOING TO BE CHAINSAWED. ARE YOU SURE YOU DON'T WANT TO HUG A TREE WITH ME? (LAUGHS) COME ON. LET'S DO IT. OH GOD. COME ON. COME ON. COME ON. HUG THE TREE. I CAN'T GET ROUND IT! WHAT DO YOU FEEL? IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, WITH THE CICADAS AND JUST THE TREES RUSTLING, IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL. That's two stories that have made you said. If you can't handle the show, move on out. That the woman whose own land, so she has a reasonable argument. If you're going to chop a tree down, you got a good use. It's a cycle of life. A FEW WEEKS BACK WE MET A CHRISTCHURCH MAN DOING AMAZING THINGS FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND THEIR FAMILIES. BUT KELLY DUGAN'S SMILE DIAL CHARITY WAS ON ITS LAST LEGS. THEY HAD NO MONEY, AND THE MAN BEHIND IT WAS FACING NO JOB. REMEMBER, KELLY'S OWN DAUGHTER SUFFERS FROM CEREBRAL PALSY. HE'S A REMARKABLE MAN, AND HE STILL HAS A SMILE ON HIS DIAL. MIKE THORPE WENT TO FIND OUT WHY. GENTLE MUSIC REMEMBER KELLY DUGAN AND HIS IRRESISTIBLE DAUGHTER LUCIA? WHO IS IT, LUI? THEY HADN'T FORGOTTEN US. MIKE. AND WHO'S BEHIND THE CAMERA? WHAT'S HIS NAME? WILL! GOOD GIRL. YAY! WELL DONE. LAST TIME WE SAW THEM, THE CHARITY THEY RUN HAD NO MONEY, BUT THEY WERE HANGING ON TO HOPE. MAYBE THAT PHONE CALL WILL COME AND THAT CHEQUE WILL COME THAT WILL ENABLE US TO KEEP GOING. WELL, GUESS WHAT? THAT CALL DID COME. I SAW YOU ON SEVEN SHARP. SEEING YOU INTERACT WITH YOUR DAUGHTER TOUCHED ME, AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU $50,000. KELLY'S REACTION? SHOCK. EXCUSE ME. CAN YOU JUST SAY THAT AGAIN? THE MAN BEHIND THE OFFER WANTS TO REMAIN NAMELESS. HE'S GOT A YOUNG CHILD AT HOME, AND HE SAID THAT SEEING ME INTERACTING WITH LUCIA MADE HIM REALISE HOW LUCKY HE WAS THAT HE HAD THIS BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRL THAT WAS 'NORMAL' AND HE WANTED TO SUPPORT ME AND MY FAMILY AS WELL. I RECKON WITH THE HELP OF GOOD PEOPLE, GREAT PEOPLE CAN DO INCREDIBLE THINGS. AND THIS IS PROOF. AND WE'VE GOT 12 MONTHS TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL, WHICH IS WE WANT REPRESENTATIVES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. WE WANT SMILE DIAL AUCKLAND, WELLINGTON. THE BIGGER WE ARE, THE MORE PEOPLE WE REACH, THE MORE PEOPLE WE REACH, THE MORE PEOPLE WE CAN HELP. I THINK WE'LL SEE A LOT MORE OF THESE TWO. OHHH, I GET A LOVE. WE HAVE TO, REALLY ` LUCIA'S DEVELOPED A THING FOR CAMERAS. YOU CAN DO THAT JOB, EH, LUI? NOTHING TO IT. EASY AS. THAT'S IT! (LAUGHS) GOOD GIRL. An awesome bloke in a wonderful charity. That's just lovely. I need to go now. A BIT OF KUDOS TONIGHT FOR VODAFONE, WHICH HAS INTRODUCED A NEW PARENTAL LEAVE POLICY. THE COMPANY WILL TOP UP THE GOVERNMENT'S PAID PARENTAL LEAVE TO FULL PAY FOR ITS STAFF, BUT HERE'S THE BIT THAT REALLY CAUGHT MY EYE ` FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS AFTER THEY RETURN, THOSE PARENTS WILL GET FULL PAY FOR WORKING A 30-HOUR WEEK. IT'S A GLOBAL INITIATIVE, ONE THAT SHOWS THE COMPANY IS SUPPORTING ITS WORKERS, BUT ALSO ONE THEY HOPE WILL PAY OFF FOR THEM. RECRUITING AND RETRAINING IS EXPENSIVE, SO BY MAKING THAT TRANSITION BACK TO WORK EASIER, THEY SHOULD HOPEFULLY KEEP THOSE VALUED WORKERS WORKING. THAT'S WHAT I CALL A WIN-WIN. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO CLEANSE MYSELF OF ALL THE WOE AND MISERY THAT'S PERVADED THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE SO FAR THIS WEEK. BETWEEN THE 1080 AND THAT DUMB TREE, WE HAVE FAILED TO FOCUS ON THE GOOD STUFF. HERE'S A SELECTION OF THE POSITIVE THAT'S COME ACROSS MY DESK SO FAR. STATS NZ AND REGIONAL GROWTH FIGURES ` CANTERBURY AND SOUTHLAND, THEY ARE ON FIRE. THEY HAVE GROWTH WE HAVE LITERALLY NEVER SEEN BEFORE. $100M A WEEK IS BEING SPENT IN CHRISTCHURCH. EVERY REGION IN THIS COUNTRY IS GROWING. TOURISM NUMBERS ` NEW RECORDS THIS WEEK. MIGRATION ` NEW RECORDS THIS WEEK. WINE INDUSTRY ` NEW RECORDS THIS WEEK. THERE IS SO MUCH THAT IS GOOD GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY, AND NONE OF IT HAS TO DO WITH NAVEL-GAZERS AND NUTTERS WHO STEAL THE HEADLINES. SO LONG LIVE THE GOOD NEWS. CAPTIONS BY FAITH HAMBLYN AND INGRID LAUDER. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR.