TONIGHT, AIRLINES ARE BEING SWAMPED AS THE GOVERNMENT FINALLY GIVES THE GREEN LIGHT TO THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE. PLUS, THE DEADLIEST EASTER ROAD TOLL IN A DECADE LEAVES THE POLICE APPALLED AND FRUSTRATED. CAPTIONS BY SALLY HARPER AND JOHN GIBBS. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2021 KIA ORA, GOOD EVENING. START PACKING YOUR BAGS, THE TRAVEL BUBBLE WITH AUSTRALIA IS BURSTING WIDE OPEN IN 13 DAYS, BUT IT'S 'FLYER-BEWARE'. YOU WILL BE STRANDED IF THERE'S AN OUTBREAK ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TASMAN. APRIL 19 IS THE DATE REVEALED BY THE PRIME MINISTER WHEN KIWIS CAN TRAVEL TO AUSTRALIA WITHOUT HAVING TO QUARANTINE ON THE WAY BACK. THE SYSTEM WILL WORK ON A STATE-BY-STATE BASIS, USING A TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM, DEPENDING ON THE SERIOUSNESS OF ANY OUTBREAKS. RED ` TRAVEL IS SUSPENDED. NO TRAVEL IN-AND-OUT OF A CERTAIN STATE, AND YOU MUST STAY WHERE YOU ARE. ORANGE ` STATE TRAVEL ON HOLD FOR 72 HOURS WHILE THINGS ARE SORTED. AND GREEN, ALL GO, TRAVEL CONTINUES AS NORMAL, NO NEED TO ISOLATE. IN A MOMENT WE'LL CROSS LIVE TO OUR AUSTRALIA CORRESPONDENT, ANDREW MACFARLANE, BUT FIRST HERE'S POLITICAL EDITOR JESSICA MUTCH MCKAY. AUSTRALIA LET KIWIS COME IN QUARANTINE-FREE IN OCTOBER. IT'S TAKEN US ANOTHER 6 MONTHS. WHY HAS IT TAKEN SO LONG? I THINK WE'RE OPENING AT EXACTLY THE RIGHT TIME. WE BELIEVE IT IS SAFE. WE BELIEVE WE CAN MAINTAIN AN OPEN AND FREE FLOW BETWEEN STATES AND NEW ZEALAND. AND IT MEANS THAT, ULTIMATELY, PEOPLE CAN BE REUNITED. LOOKS TO ME AS THOUGH THE GOVERNMENT'S BEEN SITTING ON ITS HANDS AND HOPING IT WILL GO AWAY. TO BE ELIGIBLE TO COME HERE, TWO WEEKS BEFORE TRAVEL, YOU MUST BE COVID-FREE AND NOT WAITING ON TEST RESULTS. YOU CAN'T HAVE TRAVELLED ANYWHERE BUT AUSTRALIA AND PEOPLE MUST COMPLETE A PRE DEPARTURE HEALTH CHECK. THEY WILL ALSO BE RANDOM TEMPERATURE CHECKS AT THE AIRPORT. AND THE PRIME MINISTER SAYS NEITHER SIDE HAS TO INFORM THE OTHER BEFORE LOCKING DOWN. WE HAVE THE ABILITY AND POWER TO MAKE DECISIONS IN NEW ZEALAND'S BEST INTEREST. ASIDE FROM FAMILY TRAVEL, TOURISTS ARE WELCOME. IT IS ULTIMATELY A CHANGE OF SCENE THAT SO MANY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR. YOU MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN LONG PERIODS OF LOCKDOWN, BUT YOU HAVEN'T HAD THE OPTION. NOW YOU HAVE THE OPTION. COME AND SEE US. OUR TOURIST OPERATORS ARE ALREADY REVVING UP. HE'S VERY HAPPY ABOUT THE NEWS HE'LL BE HITTING THE STREETS OF MOUNT MAUNGANUI WITH AUSTRALIANS SOON. OVER THE MOON. I'LL BE HAVING A DRINK TO AUNTY CINDY TONIGHT. THE BUBBLE WILL FREE UP 1300 SPOTS IN MIQ. 500 WILL BE KEPT FREE IN CASE THERE'S AN OUTBREAK AND FLIGHTS ARE ALREADY IN THE AIR. SOME HOTELS WILL BE DECOMMISSIONED AND MAY BE USED TO HOUSE LOW-RISK PEOPLE FROM THE PACIFIC, FOR EXAMPLE, COMING HERE TO PICK FRUIT. AS A RESULT OF THIS, WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE A LARGE NUMBER OF VACANT QUARANTINE SPACES TO COME ON STREAM. SO THE JOSTLING FOR MIQ SPOTS WILL CONTINUE. JESSICA MUTCH MCKAY, 1 NEWS KIWIS STRANDED IN AUSTRALIA WILL BE SCRAMBLING TO BOOK TICKETS HOME FOLLOWING TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT. FOR MANY, THE COST OF MANAGED ISOLATION COULD PROVE TOO MUCH TO BEAR. FOR REACTION FROM ACROSS THE TASMAN, OUR AUSTRALIA CORRESPONDENT ANDREW MACFARLANE JOINS US NOW. ANDREW EVEING, JENNY. HOPEFULLY KIWIS WILL BE ABLE TO COME SEE THE SIGHTS OF AUSTRALIA SPEAKING TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, THEY ARE KEEN TO BE BOOKING INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS ASAP AUSSIES LOVE TRAVEL SO TYHEY'LL BE BOOKING FLIGHTS ACROSS THE DITCH IT'S BEEN A ONE-WAY DEAL FOR A WHILE THE 3 GRAND PRICE TAG HAS BEEN COLOSSAL FOR SO MANY SCOTT MORRISON IS ALSO OVE RTHE MOON I APPRECIATE THIS ARRANGEMENT WE WELCOME KIWIS BACK IN TIME FOR ANZAC DAY AND ANDREW, WHAT IS AUSTRALIA'S COVID SITUATION? 2021 HAS NOT BEEN COVID FREE A FEW CASES IN BRISBANE LAST MONTH THAT SPREAD TO BYRON BAY WE HAVE HAD A FEW DAYS OF ZERO COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION STATE-BY-STATE, THINGS WILL BE HANDLED DIFFERENTLY ASHLEY BLOOMFIELD MAY GIVE ADVICE TO PEPOPLE IN QUEENSLAND STANDARD PRACTICE FOR BUBBLE AGREEMENTS THANK WELL, IF YOU FANCY A GETAWAY TO OZ, OUR NATIONAL CARRIER IS ALREADY ADDING MORE DESTINATIONS, AS LARISSA HOWIE REPORTS. OUR HARD WORK KEEPING COVID OUT FINALLY PAYING OFF. EVERYBODY IS PRETTY SAFE. ESPECIALLY NEW ZEALAND. YOU GUYS (BLEEP) NAILED IT. AUSSIES NOW ABLE TO FLY QUARANTINED-FREE TO NEW ZEALAND, AND EXCITEMENT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TASMAN CLEAR. WE'VE SEEN AN IMMEDIATE UPTICK IN PEOPLE BOOKING TO HEAD TO AUSTRALIA. WELLINGTON, CHRISTCHURCH AND QUEENSTOWN WILL JOIN AUCKLAND WITH RETURN FLIGHTS FROM BRISBANE, MELBOURNE AND SYDNEY, AND RETURNING FLIGHTS FROM SIX OTHER INCLUDING THE GOLD COAST AND PERTH, WILL RESUME FROM AUCKLAND. WE'RE SO EXCITED. WE'VE NOW GOT A DATE AND WE'RE READY TO GO. BOTH COUNTRIES ARE PURSUING ELIMINATION VERY EFFECTIVELY. WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT THIS VIRUS. AND NOW, OF COURSE, WE HAVE VACCINE DELIVERED TO OUR BORDER WORKERS. SO WE'VE GOT ANOTHER LINE OF DEFENCE. SO I THINK THE TIMING IS GOOD. OUR AUSSIE MATES ALSO KEEN TO TOUCH-DOWN ON KIWI SOIL. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY AND WE'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE, BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN ALL OF IT. SO WE'D CERTAINLY GO BACK TO SEE SOME MORE. YOU'D BE KEEN TO GO TO NEW ZEALAND? -DEFINITELY. IT'D BE NICE TO GET NEW ZEALAND. I'D LIKE TO GO TO HOBBITON, AND I THINK THAT'D BE FUN. AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WILL BE SPLIT INTO TWO TERMINALS TO MAKE SURE THERE'S CLEAR SEPARATION BETWEEN THOSE COMING IN FROM RED-ZONE COUNTRIES AND THOSE COMING IN FROM QUARANTINE-FREE TRAVEL. SO YOU WON'T SEE ANY MIXING BETWEEN INBOUND TRAVELLERS GOING INTO MIQ AND THOSE TRAVELLERS GOING TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. IT'S BEEN A TOUGH YEAR FOR THE FLIGHT INDUSTRY, BUT THE RETURN OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLERS IS A WELCOME RELIEF FOR AUCKLAND AIRPORT. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL IS DOWN ABOUT 98% AT THE MOMENT. SO` AND TRANS-TASMAN REPRESENTED ABOUT 40% OF OUR BUSINESS, TYPICALLY. SO JUST GETTING THAT BACK, EVEN IF IT'S NOT AT THE FULL ACTIVITY OF LAST YEAR, IS A REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE FOR US. THE FUTURE LOOKING BRIGHTER, THESE EMPTY TERMINALS SET TO FILL UP AGAIN WHEN APRIL 19 ROLLS AROUND. LARISSA HOWIE, 1 NEWS. AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR WITHOUT INTERNATIONAL VISITORS, THE LONG-AWAITED BUBBLE IS A MAJOR RELIEF FOR OUR STRUGGLING TOURISM SECTOR. HERE'S OUR QUEENSTOWN REPORTER JARED MCCULLOCH. ACROSS QUEENSTOWN TODAY, A SHARED SENSE OF EXCITEMENT. I'M THINKING ABOUT BREAKING OUT SOME SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER MOVES. THIS IS GREAT NEWS, NOT ONLY FOR OUR BUSINESS BUT FOR EVERYBODY IN TOURISM. EXCITED, GLAD, PLEASED. IT'S BEEN A TESTING 12 MONTHS FOR OPERATORS, BUT NOW THEY CAN PREPARE FOR A BUSY WINTER. PEOPLE CAN MAKE SOME SOLID PLANS, PEOPLE WHO WERE PARTICULARLY UNCERTAIN ABOUT THEIR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT. IT'S GOT TO LOOK A LOT BRIGHTER FOR THEM WHEN THEY GO HOME TONIGHT AND HEAD OFF TO BED. THIS IS THE LIFELINE WE NEEDED, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR. THIS IS THE SAVIOUR FOR BUSINESSES IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD. TOTALLY TOURISM RUNS HELICOPTER TRIPS, CRUISES AND HIKES IN SOME OF THE HARDEST-HIT AREAS IN QUEENSTOWN AND THE WEST COAST. IT'S BEEN A DIFFICULT YEAR FOR EVERYBODY, SO THIS IS SOME LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. AUSTRALIANS ALSO EXPECTED TO HEAD UP THE SLOPES WITH AROUND 40% OF VISITORS TO THE MOUNTAINS PRE-COVID COMING FROM ACROSS THE DITCH. WE KNOW THAT THEY WANT TO COME, WE KNOW THAT. SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT WE'VE GOT BOOKED LATER IN THE SEASON, THERE'S A LOT OF AUSTRALIANS ALREADY BOOKED IN, SO WE KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF DEMAND. WE'RE JUST HAPPY TO SEE YOU OVER HERE. BARS AND RESTAURANTS ON THE BRINK OF CLOSURE, MOTIVATED BY THE THOUGHT OF FRESH TOURISTS. EVERYBODY WILL JUST BREATHE AND GO 'THANK GOD'. AND NOW WE HAVE AN AIM, NOW WE'VE GOT SOMEWHERE TO GO, NOW IT'S TIME WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A PLAN AND THAT WE'RE MOVING ON. THIS YEAR HAS BEEN HARD, SO HAVING A PLAN TO MOVE ON AND THAT SOMETHING COMES BACK TO MORE CLOSE TO NORMALITY, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. OPERATORS REMAIN AWARE OF THE RISKS AND SAY THEY'LL BE TAKING ALL PRECAUTIONS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THE BUBBLE REMAINS OPEN. WE'RE ALL GONNA HAVE TO BE ON OUR TOES. I HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN THE HEALTH SYSTEM. AS KIWIS PREPARE FOR A LONG, COLD WINTER, THOSE IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, WARMED BY THE THOUGHT OF AUSTRALIANS ` HOPPING OVER THE DITCH. POLICE HAVE LABELLED THIS YEAR'S EASTER ROAD TOLL "APPALLING", AFTER THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF DEATHS OVER THE LONG WEEKEND IN MORE THAN A DECADE. EIGHT PEOPLE DIED ON THE ROADS DURING THE EASTER PERIOD, WHICH STARTED ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND ENDED AT 6AM THIS MORNING, ALL IN THE NORTH ISLAND. POLICE ARE STILL LOOKING INTO THE CAUSES OF THIS WEEKEND'S FATAL ACCIDENTS, BUT SAY THERE WERE A FEW KEY FACTORS. WE'RE TAKING ABOUT RESTRAINTS, PEOPLE FAILING TO SEE THE NEED TO BUCKLE UP WHEN THEY'RE OUT ON THE ROAD, ALSO PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPAIRED BY ALCOHOL, DRUGS OR FATIGUE. WE'RE TAKING ABOUT DISTRACTION TOO, BUT OF COURSE THE BIG ONE THAT ALWAYS CATCHES PEOPLE OUT IS SPEED. NOBODY DIED ON THE ROADS LAST EASTER WHILE THE COUNTRY WAS UNDER ALERT LEVEL FOUR RESTRICTIONS. THE LAST TIME THE ROAD TOLL WAS ABOVE EIGHT WAS IN 2010, WHEN 12 PEOPLE DIED OVER THE LONG WEEKEND. LABOUR MP AND MINISTER KIRI ALLAN HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE 3 CERVICAL CANCER. ON SOCIAL MEDIA THIS MORNING, THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MINISTER SAID SHE IS NOW IN THE FIGHT OF HER LIFE AFTER RECEIVING THE DIAGNOSIS LAST WEEK. MEI HERON REPORTS. WHEN KIRI ALLAN STEPPED UP TO LEAD THE TSUNAMI RESPONSE LAST MONTH, SHE WAS ALSO FACING A HEALTH CRISIS OF HER OWN. AND YET,THERE SHE WAS ON THE PODIUM, HELPING TO LEAD THE COUNTRY THROUGH A REALLY DRAMATIC CIVIL DEFENCE MOMENT. AND I REMEMBER THINKING, AND AS I SAW THE PRAISE FOR HER MANAGEMENT OF THAT, THINKING 'IF ONLY PEOPLE KNEW WHAT ELSE SHE WAS DEALING WITH.' ON THAT DAY THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MINISTER FOUND OUT SHE HAD A 6CM GROWTH ON HER CERVIX, LATER CONFIRMED TO BE STAGE 3 CERVICAL CANCER. IT'S FAIR TO SAY AS A FRIEND AND A COLLEAGUE, I'VE BEEN GUTTED BY THE NEWS. IN A LENGTHY FACEBOOK POST, SHE SAYS SHE FIRST NOTICED THE PAIN IN HER BACK STOMACH AND LEGS DURING THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN LAST YEAR. BY LATE JANUARY SHE STARTED MENSTRUATING, AND IT DIDN'T STOP. I'M REALLY SAD. SAD FOR MY FRIEND. I MEAN, THIS CAN OBVIOUSLY AFFECT ANYBODY. SO AS I SAID BEFORE, WE JUST WISH HER ALL THE BEST NOW. I THINK KIRI'S SITUATION IS A REMINDER TO EVERY WOMAN TO GET OUT THERE AND GET TESTED. IN HINDSIGHT, SHE SAYS SHE SHOULD'VE SEEN A DOCTOR EARLIER. BUT WORK PILED ON, AND SHE HOPED HER SYMPTOMS WOULD SORT THEMSELVES OUT. KIRI ALLAN IS NOW URGING WOMEN TO GET REGULAR SMEAR TESTS AND NOT IGNORE WARNING SIGNS. THERE'RE LOTS OF BARRIERS TO ACCESS. AND IT'S GOOD YOU MENTIONED WHAKAMA, SHYNESS, TAPU. IT'S NOT AN EASY AREA TO HAVE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT. ABOUT 160 WOMEN DEVELOP CERVICAL CANCER EACH YEAR. BUT IT IS PREVENTABLE WITH A NEW HPV TEST, WHICH LOOKS FOR THE VIRUS BEFORE CANCER CELLS DEVELOP. THAT TEST, HOWEVER, IS NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN NEW ZEALAND. IT BAFFLES US ` ABSOLUTELY. IT IS NOT GOOD. IT MAKES US VERY ANGRY ACTUALLY THAT WOMEN HAVEN'T GOT THIS BEST TEST. THE GOVERNMENT SAYS IT'S A BUDGET MATTER AND WON'T COMMENT FURTHER. KIRI ALLAN IS NOW ON SICK LEAVE, AS SHE FACES THE BIGGEST FIGHT OF HER LIFE. MEI HERON, 1 NEWS. HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE APOLOGISED AFTER A HAWKE'S BAY WOMAN WAS OFFERED A VACCINE THAT SHE WASN'T ELIGIBLE FOR. THE WOMAN, WHO DOESN'T WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED, RECEIVED A PHONE CALL CLAIMING SHE WAS AN ESSENTIAL WORKER AND HER JAB WAS READY. SHE DISPUTED THE INFORMATION BUT WAS TOLD THE VACCINE WOULD STILL BE AVAILABLE. MY RESPONSE TO THEM WAS, I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT NEED IT MORE THAN ME. IT WAS A LITTLE BIT CONCERNING THAT I MADE IT ONTO A PRIORITY LIST WHEN IM DEFINITELY NOT PRIORITY. THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH SAYS THE CORRECT PERSON HAS NOW BEEN FOUND AND VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19. THEY SAYS IT IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE HEARD OF THIS OCCURRING AND ARE WORKING OUT WHAT WENT WRONG. RESIDENTS IN THE WAIRARAPA TOWN OF CARTERTON ARE BEING ASKED TO CONTINUE BOILING THEIR WATER AFTER E-COLI BACTERIA WAS FOUND IN THE WATER SUPPLY LAST WEEK, FOR THE THIRD TIME IN A MONTH. LOW LEVELS OF THE BACTERIA WERE DETECTED ON THURSDAY, DESPITE THE WATER BEING DECLARED SAFE TO DRINK TWICE SINCE THE FIRST WATER BOIL NOTICE ON THE 12TH OF MARCH. THE COUNCIL SAYS THE RISK OF GETTING SICK FROM DRINKING THE WATER IS LOW BUT POSSIBLE, THOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NO OFFICIAL REPORTS OF ILLNESS YET. A FURTHER UPDATE IS EXPECTED BY 5PM ON FRIDAY. STILL TO COME ` INTERNAL CRITICISM CONTINUES TO MOUNT AGAINST FORMER MINNEAPOLIS POLICEMAN DEREK CHAUVIN WHO'S ACCUSED OF KILLING GEORGE FLOYD. THE ACTIONS OF THE MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING GEORGE FLOYD HAVE BEEN SLAMMED BY HIS FORMER BOSS, THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF. THE JURY IN THE TRIAL OF DEREK CHAUVIN HEARING HIS PROLONGED USE OF FORCE BROKE POLICE PROTOCOL. HERE'S OUR US CORRESPONDENT ANNA BURNS-FRANCIS. WEEK TWO OF GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER TRIAL AND A SIGHT RARELY SEEN ` A POLICE CHIEF TESTIFYING AGAINST ONE OF HIS OWN MEN. I VEHEMENTLY DISAGREE THAT THAT WAS THE APPROPRIATE USE OF FORCE FOR THAT SITUATION. DEREK CHAUVIN'S ACCUSED OF MURDERING UNARMED BLACK MAN GEORGE FLOYD LAST MAY BY KNEELING ON HIS NECK FOR MORE THAN NINE MINUTES. THE DAY AFTER, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE BOSS MEDARIA ARRADONDO FIRED CHAUVIN AND THE THREE OTHER OFFICERS ON THE SCENE, AT THE TIME, SAYING CHAUVIN'S DECISION TO KNEEL ON FLOYD'S NECK WAS MURDER. THAT IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM IS ANYTHING THAT IS BY POLICY, IT'S NOT PART OF OUR TRAINING, AND IT IS CERTAINLY NOT PART OF OUR ETHICS OR OUR VALUES. THE FOCUS OF THE TRIALS NOW TURNED TO EXPERT TESTIMONY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT CHAUVIN'S RESTRAINT WAS AN APPROVED TACTIC. NOT ACCORDING TO HIS TRAINING OFFICER. AND HOW DOES THIS DIFFER? I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF IMPROVISED POSITION THAT IS. SO IT'S NOT WHAT WE TRAIN. CHAUVIN IS CHARGED WITH MURDER AND MANSLAUGHTER, AND THE PROSECUTION MUST PROVE THE PRESSURE FROM CHAUVIN'S KNEE WAS THE SUBSTANTIAL CAUSE OF DEATH. DID YOU RECEIVE ANY INFORMATION OR INDICATION FROM THE PARAMEDICS WHEN THEY BROUGHT MR FLOYD IN THAT ANYONE HAD ATTEMPTED CPR ON MR FLOYD AT THE SCENE ON MAY 25TH 2020? OVERRULED. I DID NOT RECEIVE A REPORT THAT MR FLOYD HAD RECEIVED BYSTANDER CPR, NO. MINNEAPOLIS POLICE FIND THEMSELVES TREADING A FINE LINE. THEY STILL WANT THE RIGHT TO USE FORCE IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS. IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT THE ONE SINGULAR INCIDENT WE WILL BE JUDGED FOREVER ON WILL BE OUR USE OF FORCE. JUDGEMENT NOT ONLY FROM THE JURY WHO'LL DECIDE DEREK CHAUVIN'S FATE, BUT THE WORLD WATCHING EVERY MOMENT OF THIS TRIAL. ANNA BURNS-FRANCIS, 1 NEWS, NEW YORK. TO SPORT NOW, AND A MERE 56 YEARS AFTER WINNING THE EUROPEAN CUP-WINNERS' CUP, WEST HAM UNITED IS NOW A CHANCE OF FINALLY GATE-CRASHING EUROPEAN FOOTBALL'S ELITE COMPETITION AGAIN. THIS MORNING'S WIN AT WOLVES TAKING THE HAMMERS INTO THE PREMIER LEAGUE'S TOP FOUR, THE MAGICAL GROUP THAT QUALIFIES FOR THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AT THE END OF THE SEASON. CHRIS CHANG REPORTS. THIS WAS PROBABLY THE LAST TIME WEST HAM FANS HAD SOMETHING TO REALLY CELEBRATE. HE CAN'T KEEP IT OUT. WINSTON REID IS THE MAN AND WEST HAM LEAD FOR THE SECOND TIME TONIGHT! ALL WHITE WINSTON REID SCORING THE LAST EVER GOAL AT UPTON PARK. SAYING GOODBYE TO THEIR FAMOUS OLD STADIUM WITH A 7TH-PLACED FINISH IN 2016, THEIR BEST SINCE 2002. BUT SINCE THEN, THEY'VE MOSTLY BEEN IN THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PREMIERSHIP ` EVEN RELEGATED TWICE. SURE, THEY'VE HAD THE ODD MERCURIAL SIGNING. HERE HE COMES. OH MY WORD. BUT COULD THE HAMMERS FINALLY BE ON THE VERGE OF SOMETHING BIG? INSPIRED BY AN ON LOAN MANCHESTER UNITED MIDFIELDER, WEST HAM ARE FLYING ON THE HOME STRETCH OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE. BUT LINGARD USING MIKHAIL ANTONIO AS A DECOY, AND WHAT A WONDERFUL WEST HAM GOAL! JESSE LINGARD CONTINUES HIS IMMENSE START IN THE WEST HAM MIDFIELD. THIS MORNING'S 3-2 WIN OVER WOLVES PROPELLING THE LONDONERS INTO THE TOP FOUR. THE LAST TIME THEY FINISHED IN THOSE LOFTY HEIGHTS? 1986. WE HAVE TO TAKE IT ON. WHY NOT? YOU KNOW, WEST HAM ARE BEING TALKED ABOUT BEING FOURTH. I'M HEARING PUNDITS AND PEOPLE ON THE RADIO TALKING ABOUT WEST HAM, AND I'M THINKING, 'YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WEST HAM HERE. CHANCE OF GETTING IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?' NOBODY WOULD'VE ENVISIONED THAT LAST SEASON. NOBODY WOULD'VE MENTIONED IT. SO IT'S GREAT CREDIT. CAN WE KEEP IT GOING? WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND DO IT. EIGHT GAMES TO GO. A FIRST TASTE OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL? ONLY IF THE BUBBLE DOESN'T BURST. CHRIS CHANG, 1 NEWS. JUST AHEAD, TOMORROW'S WEATHER FORECAST AND WE CHECK OUT THE NEW 'TRON TRAIN SERVICE BETWEEN WAIKATO AND AUCKLAND. THE FIRST HAMILTON TO AUCKLAND PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE SET OFF THIS MORNING, CONNECTING THE TWO CITIES IN A BID TO EASE CONGESTION, BUT THERE ARE ALREADY CONCERNS OVER HOW LONG THE JOURNEY TAKES. KATIE STEVENSON REPORTS. TE HUIA EN ROUTE TO AUCKLAND FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE TRAIN LEAVING HAMILTON'S FRANKTON STATION JUST BEFORE 6AM. IT'S A BIG OCCASION, ACTUALLY. WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PASSENGER TRAINS IN HAMILTON BEFORE. OLD RAIL CAR AND STUFF. BUT HAVING THIS THING RUNNING OUT, ESPECIALLY FOR HAMILTON, IS, YEAH, IT'S GREAT, ACTUALLY. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING, I THINK. THE WAIKATO REALLY HAS NEEDED THIS FOR A WHILE, SO WE'LL DEFINITELY USE IT. I THINK EVERY TIME THAT I COME TO AUCKLAND, I WILL DEFINITELY USE IT. WE ACTUALLY CAME UP JUST TO GO FOR A RIDE ON THE TRAIN. THERE'LL BE RETURN SERVICES TWICE A DAY IN A BID TO EASE TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES. I THINK THIS WILL GIVE PEOPLE OPTIONS AROUND GOING IN AND OUT OF AUCKLAND ON A DAILY BASIS, AND ALSO HELP PEOPLE TO GET OUT OF THEIR CARS. IT'S A LOT MORE PLEASANT TO COMMUTE ON A TRAIN THAN IT IS TO SIT IN A FRUSTRATING TRAFFIC. A FULL JOURNEY FROM FRANKTON, HAMILTON INTO AUCKLAND CBD TAKES ABOUT 2� HOURS WITH A TRANSFER AT PAPAKURA. IT'S A CHANCE FOR US TO BRIDGE THE COMMUTER CHALLENGE, GET 73,000 CARS A YEAR OFF THE STATE HIGHWAY 1 TO AUCKLAND. IT'S COST THE GOVERNMENT AND COUNCIL CLOSE TO $100m. ABOUT 8000 PEOPLE A DAY COMMUTE BETWEEN WAIKATO AND AUCKLAND, AND IT'S HOPED ABOUT 300 PEOPLE A DAY WILL USE THE TRAIN. BUT CONCERNS HAVE BEEN RAISED ABOUT THE LENGTH OF THE JOURNEY. BUT THERE'S MORE POSITIVES THAN THERE ARE NEGATIVES. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A START AND WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE. A STEP INTO A NEW ERA OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR THE REGION. KATIE STEVENSON, 1 NEWS. TO TOMORROW'S WEATHER NOW WITH A REMIXED VERSION OF MEN AT WORK'S 'DOWN UNDER'. THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT, THANKS FOR WATCHING. PO MANAHAU, GOODNIGHT. CAPTIONS BY SALLY HARPER AND JOHN GIBBS. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2021