GO THE BLACK CAPS! I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH SLEEP. GO THE BLACK CAPS! CAPS I THOUGHT WE WERE PRECISE, CIS LINKED, FOCUSED. HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOUR LAST TODAY? THREE OR FOUR MINUTES. HE WAS HERE ON TIME. MORENA. IT'S THURSDAY THE 24th OF JUNE. KIA ORA. AS JOHN HAS ALLUDED TO, GO THE BLACK CAPS! HOLD ON A SEC. WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THIS IS THAT YOU GOT UP AND WALKED AWAY. SHE IS ON THE BANDWAGON NOW. LAUGHING AT MY OWN DOGS, FALLING OFF MY CHAIR. AS LONG AS WE DON'T TALK ABOUT HOW A CRICKET BALL IS MADE. A VERY BIG MORNING THIS MORNING. NOT ONLY ABOUT THE BLACK CAPS, BUT WELLINGTON. WE'LL GIVE YOU A REMINDER OF WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO IN THE CAPITAL, AND COVID RESPONSE MINISTER CHRIS HIPKINS WILL GIVE US AN UPDATE. MEANWHILE ` THE SITUATION IN FIJI CONTINUES TO WORSEN. 279 NEW CASES REPORTED LAST NIGHT AND FOUR MORE DEATHS. WHY HASN'T THE ISLAND GONE INTO A FULL LOCKDOWN? AND THE BLACKCAPS ARE THE WORLD TEST CRICKET CHAMPIONS. KANE WILLIAMSON'S SIDE HAS BEATEN INDIA THIS MORNING ` THE BIGGEST VICTORY IN THE HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND CRICKET. WE'LL BE LIVE IN SOUTHAMPTON. IS GOING TO BE MAGIC. SHOUT OUT TO ROSS TAYLOR. HE WAS SUPERB THIS MORNING. LOOK AT YOU. I WATCHED IT. I GET HERE JUST AFTER 3 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. JOHNNY COME LATELY. JOHN IS WATCHING BECAUSE HE IS TWEETING ABOUT IT. I THOUGHT I BETTER WATCH JUST IN CASE HE ASKED ME ABOUT IT. ANYWAY. IT'S A GOOD MORNING. MORENA, MELISSA. IN THE PAST HALF HOUR, THE BLACKCAPS HAVE BECOME WORLD TEST CHAMPIONS. PROUD KIWI. WHIPS THAT ONE AWAY, AND HOW APPROPRIATE THAT ROSS TAYLOR AND KANE WILLIAMSON ARE THERE FOR THIS MOMENT FOR THIS TEAM. IT'S A STORY THAT'S AKIN TO DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH, BUT KANE WILLIAMSON AND HIS TEAM NOW WORLD TEST CHAMPIONS AND LIVING PROOF THAT SOMETIMES ` JUST SOMETIMES ` NICE GUYS DO FINISH FIRST. 21 YEARS OF HEARTACHE. NEW ZEALAND MADE A PERFECT START TO THE SIXTH AND FINAL DAY. KYLE JAMIESON TOOK THE IMPORTANT WICKET OF VIRAT KOHLI EARLY, BEFORE THE KIWI ATTACK ROLLED INDIA FOR 170. NEEDING 139 TO WIN, KANE WILLIAMSON BRINGING UP HIS HALF-CENTURY AND ROSS TAYLOR'S 47 RUNS GUIDING THE BLACKCAPS TO THE HISTORIC EIGHT-WICKET VICTORY AND THE FIRST TEAM EVER TO WIN THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP. TWO YEARS AGO WE STARTED OUT THIS JOURNEY, AND TO BE SITTING HERE, THE FIRST WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS IS PRETTY REWARDING. THERE'S A LOT OF HARD WORK THAT GOES IN BEHIND THE SCENES AND OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND TO BE SITTING HERE, IT'S A PRETTY SPECIAL MOMENT. AND OUR EUROPE CORRESPONDENT DANIEL FAITAUA IS LIVE IN SOUTHAMPTON OUTSIDE THE GROUND. DANIEL, WHAT'S THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE THERE? IT WAS AMAZING TO BE INSIDE. THE VOCAL CROWD FROM INDIA AS WELL. NEW ZEALAND HAD A SMALL CROWD BUT VOCAL INDEED. ONCE THE MATCH FINISHED, IT WAS QUITE QUIET. THE INDIAN FANS CAME OUT AND TOLD ME THEY WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED BUT A LITTLE LET DOWN. THEY THOUGHT THE LEADERSHIP OF THE BLACK CAPS WAS GOOD. THEY ALSO BLAMED IT ON THE WEATHER. IT BECAME DIFFICULT FOR THE INDIANS TO PLAY ON THAT PITCH IN THOSE CONDITIONS. CRICKET WAS THE WIND AT THE END OF THE DAY. *WINNER. WE UNDERSTAND THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM IS INSIDE ENJOYING THE SUNSHINE. HOPEFULLY WE WILL SEE SOME OF THEM COME OUT SOON. ALL IN ALL, TODAY HAS TO BE ONE OF THE GREATEST DAYS IN NEW ZEALAND CRICKET HISTORY. ARE EXPECTED TO BE AT CAPACITY TODAY, WITH MANY ALREADY BOOKED OUT. OUR REPORTER ABBEY WAKEFIELD, WHO IS OBSERVING SOCIAL DISTANCING AND WEARING A MASK WHICH SHE HAS REMOVED FOR CLARITY, IS OUTSIDE ONE STATION RIGHT NOW. ABBEY, WHAT'S THE ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WANTING A TEST? GOOD MORNING. THE GENERAL ADVICE FOR BALANCE ONLY ENDS IS TO CALL HEALTHLINE AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BOOKING. WE HAVE SEEN A HUGE DEMAND FOR TESTS HERE. THIS TEST HERE BEHIND ME IN THE CBD IS ALREADY FULLY BOOKED TODAY. THE DHB WANTS TO REMIND PEOPLE YOU CAN STILL GET A BOOKING THROUGH YOUR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS. AND THERE ARE OTHER TESTING STATIONS SET UP ACROSS THE REGION IN PORIRUA, JOHNSONVILLE, LOWER HUTT UPPER HUTT. THE FOUR CLOSE CONTACTS IDENTIFIED IS THAT THEY HAVE RETURNED NEGATIVE RESULTS. WE DON'T KNOW IF THE ORIGINAL CASE HAD THE DELTA VARIANT. CHRIS HIPKINS IS ON LATER TO PROVIDE US WITH AN UPDATE ON THAT. MORE THAN 20 RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT AND TWO SHIPS ARE TARGETING A BRITISH WARSHIP SAILING NEAR CRIMEA. MOSCOW SAYS HMS DEFENDER ENTERED RUSSIAN WATERS. ITS DEFENCE MINISTRY SAYS A JET DROPPED BOMBS AND A PATROL SHIP FIRED WARNING SHOTS. BUT BRITAIN CLAIMS NO WARNING SHOTS WERE FIRED. RUSSIA CLAIMS THE ILLEGALLY ANNEXED PENINSULA AND ITS WATERS ARE ITS TERRITORY. THE UK SAYS IT WAS PASSING THROUGH UKRAINE. AMERICAN POP STAR BRITNEY SPEARS IS EXPECTED TO SPEAK OUT ON HER CONSERVATORSHIP DURING A HEARING LATER THIS MORNING. # OH, BABY, BABY. THE 39-YEAR-OLD HAS BEEN UNDER HER FATHER'S LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP SINCE 2008, SO SHE HAS NO CONTROL OVER HER PERSONAL OR FINANCIAL AFFAIRS. THE CONSERVATORSHIP WAS ESTABLISHED WHEN SHE WAS HOSPITALISED FOR MENTAL HEALTH REASONS. THE HEARING'S SCHEDULED FOR 8.30 NEW ZEALAND TIME. BLACK FERNS SEVENS CAPTAIN SARAH HIRINI AND ROWER HAMISH BOND HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS NEW ZEALAND'S FLAG BEARERS FOR THE TOKYO OLYMPICS. HIRINI WON A SILVER MEDAL AT THE 2016 RIO GAMES, SHE LED THE BLACK FERNS SEVENS TO A HALBERG TEAM OF THE YEAR CROWN AND BECAME A MEMBER OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT FOR SERVICES TO RUGBY. MEANWHILE, CO-FLAGBEARER IS NO STRANGER TO AN OLYMPIC GAMES. BOND WON BACK-TO-BACK GOLD MEDALS IN LONDON AND RIO. HE'LL COMPETE IN THE MEN'S EIGHT IN TOKYO. NOT BEING FUNNY, AS THEY'RE ACTUALLY AN OPENING CEREMONY AND WILL THEY WALK AROUND THE THING? THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE FANS, OR THERE WILL BE SMALL NUMBERS. THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SHOUT OR TALK LOUDLY. THEY WILL BE WEAVING A FLAG IN THEIR HOTEL ROOMS, MAYBE? IT'S BATSHIT CRAZY. WE DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF HAMISH KNOWS. WE WILL ASK HIM. WAVING THE FLAG FROM YOUR HOTEL VERANDA. I THINK IT'S BEAUTIFUL THOSE TWO ARE GOING TO BE DOING IT TOGETHER. THE LAST DAY ONE WAS MAHE DRYSDALE. FOUR! SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE AT GOLF. YOU SHOUT IF YOU ARE IN THE STANDS, AND APPRECIATION. IS LIKE YOU ARE A VETERAN OF CRICKET MATCHES. THERE ARE SIX BALLS IN AN OVER. GO, MATTY. YOU ARE EXCITED TO TALK TO THE BLACK CAPS, AREN'T YOU? I AM A BATSMAN, MATTY. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR THURSDAY FORECAST. IT IS LOVELY AND SUNNY ONCE THE DAY CRANKS INTO GEAR. A BIT FRESH TO START WITH, THOUGH, WITH FROSTS FOR SOME OF YOU THIS MORNING. 15, 16 DEGREES DURING THE DAY FOR EVERYONE. THAT FROSTY, CHILLY START TO THE DAY THROUGH HERE AS WELL, BUT, AGAIN, IT'S NICE ONCE THE SUN'S UP. JUST A BIT OF EVENING CLOUD ROLLING IN, WITH A COUPLE OF SHOWERS TONIGHT AROUND TAUPO AND TOKOROA. 12 DEGREES IN TOKOROA AND ROTORUA, 14 FOR HAMILTON. YOU'RE IN FOR A DECENT THURSDAY FURTHER EAST; JUST A BIT OF CLOUD COVER AT TIMES. ALTHOUGH HAWKE'S BAY HAS CLEAR SKIES ALL DAY. IT'LL BE FROSTY EARLY ON, THOUGH. 13 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON. 15, 16 DEGREES AROUND HAWKE'S BAY AND GISBORNE. YOU'LL SEE A MIX OF FINE SPELLS AND CLOUD COVER MOVING WEST WITH A COUPLE OF SHOWERS THIS MORNING AROUND WELLINGTON AND LEVIN, HITTING EVERYONE ELSE BRIEFLY THIS AFTERNOON. 14 DEGREES IN THE CAPITAL AND PALMERSTON NORTH, 16 FOR NEW PLYMOUTH. BIT MORE OVERCAST ACROSS THE COOK STRAIT, ALTHOUGH YOU SHOULD SEE THE ODD FINE PATCH IN AMONGST THE CLOUD. DO WATCH OUT FOR A COUPLE OF SHOWERS ALONG THE WEST COAST AS WELL. 14 DEGREES IN KAIKOURA, NELSON AND IN WESTPORT. THAT CLOUD COVER STRETCHES OUT EAST AS WELL, AND YOU SHOULD BE SETTING OFF TO SOME FROSTY CONDITIONS IN CANTERBURY, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME SUNSHINE THAT POKES THROUGH. 12 THE EXPECTED HIGH FOR CHRISTCHURCH AND ALEXANDRA, 13 IN ASHBURTON. AND IT'S GREY IN THE LOWER SOUTH WITH RAIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY IN MILFORD SOUND, HEAVY AT TIMES, WHEREAS FOR MOST OTHERS THE WET WEATHER'S NOT EXPECTED TILL TONIGHT. DUNEDIN SHOULD STAY DRY, THOUGH. 13 DEGREES FOR DUNEDIN, INVERCARGILL AND ON STEWART ISLAND. AND THEN HAVING A LOOK AT YOUR FRIDAY ` TOMORROW, THERE'S SOME RAIN IN THE WEST AROUND TARANAKI AND WAIKATO. EVERYWHERE ELSE LOOKS MORE OVERCAST. AND THERE'S RAIN ALONG THE SOUTH ISLAND'S WEST COAST, HEAVY AT TIMES, WITH HIGH CLOUD AND SCATTERED FALLS FOR MOST OTHERS. BEAUTIFUL, CLEAR SKIES THIS MORNING. LOTS OF PLACES IN THE NORTH ISLAND GETTING BELOW ZERO OVERNIGHT. WINTER COAT TERRITORY. THAT WAS PUTTING ON A WINTER COAT. THAT WAS A MANLY WAY TO PUT ON A COAT. THAT'S THE KIND OF MAN MATTIE IS. COMING UP ` AN EXPERT ASSESSMENT OF THE RISK POSED BY THE CONFIRMED COVID CASE'S TIME IN THE CAPITAL, AND WAS THE CHANGE IN ALERT LEVELS THE RIGHT DECISION? (ALL CHANT) - The planet doesn't know which stuff you're doing just because you can't say no. So start at the bottom of your list and cross a few things off. YOU ARE WITH BREAKFAST. COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM THE HOME OF THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONS. THE BLACKCAPS ARE THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONS. HOW DO YOU LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT? 1 NEWS EUROPE CORRESPONDENT DANIEL FAITAUA WAS IN THE STANDS WATCHING IT UNFOLD. YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE AT HENLEY WITH YOUR COLLAR UP LIKE THAT. YOU MISSED THE FANTASTIC FIREWORKS. WAS HAPPENING OVER THERE, DANIEL? IT'S QUITE WEIRD. IT'S SO QUIET. YOU CAN HEAR THE KIWIS, BUT THE INDIAN FANS THAT ARE COMING OUT ARE QUITE QUIET. JUST REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY. SOME HAVE COME OUT CRITICISING COLDLY AND PRAISING WILLIAMSON. SUMMER SAYING THE RAIN WAS A CRITICAL FACTOR IN INDIA'S LOSS. OTHERS ARE SAYING NEW ZEALAND WAS JUST TOO GOOD. INDIA IS SO GOOD AND I LOVE THAT TEAM, BUT IT FEELS LIKE THE BEST TEAM WON. ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU WANT IN A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL? HOW MANY ARE THERE? CAPACITY WISE DUE TO COVID - 4000. COVID YOU CAN SEE A STREAM OF THEM LEAVING NOW. ARE REALLY WELL BEHAVED CROWD. LOTS OF CHANTING AND SINGING. THE NOISE OF THAT SLOWLY DIED DOWN AS EVERYONE STARTED REALISING THE BLACK CAPS WERE GOING TO WIN. AS YOU SAID, WITH LATHAM, MAYBE THERE WOULD BE A TWIST AT THE END OF THIS PLOT, BUT THE TWO OLD PROS STEERED THEM TO VICTORY. THERE IS SOME LOVELY POETRY IN THE FACT THAT IT WAS THEM. IS A PRETTY SPECIAL? IT IS REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL. DURING COVID, YOU GET TO HAVE THE STADIUM ALMOST TO YOURSELF BECAUSE THERE AREN'T MANY PEOPLE HERE. YOU CAN WANDER AROUND, DO CARTWHEELS, GO AND GET A DOUGHNUT, SIP ON A DRINK. THIS GIG IS VERY TOUGH, BUT SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT. DANIEL, IS GOING TO BE IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS IF HE STAYS ANY LONGER. YOU LUCKY BUGGER. IT'S 6:19. IT WAS WITH A SINKING FEELING THAT WE WOKE UP TO YESTERDAY, WITH THE NEWS THAT A NOW-CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASE FROM AUSTRALIA HAD BEEN HITTING THE HOTSPOTS OF OUR CAPITAL THIS PAST WEEKEND. THAT, OF COURSE, RESULTED IN THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO PUT THE GREATER WELLINGTON REGION INTO LEVEL 2 UNTIL AT LEAST SUNDAY. BUT WHAT'S THE RELATIVE RISK OF A MAJOR OUTBREAK DUE TO WHAT WAS AN ALMOST INEVITABLE EXPORTED CASE FROM AUSTRALIA FOLLOWING THE OPENING OF THE TWO-WAY TRAVEL BUBBLE? SKYPING IN TO CONSIDER THE VARIABLES AND CRUNCH THE NUMBERS FOR US IS ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S ADVISERS ON THE COVID CRISIS AND THE DIRECTOR OF AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY'S TE PUNAHA MATATINI, CENTRE OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE IN COMPLEX SYSTEMS AND DATA ANALYTICS SHAUN HENDY. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD THANKS. I WOULD SAY IT'S A PLEASURE, BUT OF COURSE, WHEN I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE SITUATIONS IT'S NEVER THAT PLEASANT. WE DO APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR EXPERTISE. LEVEL 2, WAS IT THE RIGHT THING? I THINK SO. PEOPLE WILL BE AWARE THAT WE HAVE DEALT WITH CASES LIKE THIS BEFORE WITH CONTACT TRACING WITHOUT GOING TO LEVEL 2. THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES THIS TIME ROUND. WE ARE VERY LIKELY DEALING WITH THE DELTA VARIANT. THE IBIDEM ILLOGICAL LINKS TO THE CLUSTER THAT WE DO KNOW ARE QUITE STRONG. SO THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. ALSO, AS A TEST FOR THE TRANS-TASMAN CORPORATION. THE CONFIRMED CASES BACK IN SYDNEY, SO WE ARE TESTING OUR SYSTEMS. HOW RAPIDLY CAN WE EXCHANGE INFORMATION BACK-AND-FORTH WITH THE NEW SOUTH WALES GOVERNMENT. GOING INTO WINTER, AND THIS PERSON HAS BEEN IN A LOT OF INDOOR VENUES. THAT MOVED TO LEVEL 2 IS A WISE PRECAUTION. CLOSE CONTACTS FOR THIS PERSON HAVE COME BACK NEGATIVE. HOW MUCH SHOULD BE READ INTO THAT? THAT'S GOOD NEWS, BUT IT'S STILL RELATIVELY EARLY IF THEY WERE EXPOSED OVER THE WEEKEND. IT COULD BE QUITE POSSIBLE THEY ARE INCUBATED. WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE FOR THE SECOND TESTS TO COME BACK SO WE CAN BE CONFIDENT THEY ARE CLEAR. IT IS GOOD NEWS NO ONE HAS TESTED POSITIVE. WE KNOW WITH THIS VIRUS, IT FOLLOWS THE 8020 RULE. WE SHOULD NOT BE TOO SURPRISED, IF IT TURNS OUT AND WE CAN BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF THAT THIS PERSON HAS NOT SPREAD IT TO OTHERS BUT AT THIS STAGE WE CAN'T RULE IT OUT. IF WE GO ON THAT 8020, SHOULD WE HAVE NOT CLOSED OUR BORDERS? TO MORE ON FRIDAY. NOW UP TO 59 CASES. SHOULDN'T THERE HAVE BEEN, OR TAKEN AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION AND SHUT THE BORDER EARLIER TO NEW SOUTH WALES. IF YOU HAD ASKED ME LAST FRIDAY, WHEN WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO SHUT THE BORDER, I WOULD HAVE SAID NO AT THAT STAGE. IT STILL LOOKS RELATIVELY CONTAINED. IT HAS GROWN AND IT GREW RAPIDLY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE PERHAPS SOME SWIFT MOVEMENT ON SUSPENDING THE TRAVEL BUBBLE, BUT THOSE MAKING THE DECISIONS PUT PEOPLE IN A DIFFICULT POSITION. WE END UP WITH PEOPLE STUCK ACROSS THE TASMAN. PEOPLE STUCK HERE THAT CAN'T GET HOME, SO IT'S A TOUGH CALL TO MAKE. BUT I THINK WE COULD PERHAPS BE SWIFTER. WE ARE SEEING A STEADY STREAM OF WATER FAILURES IN AUSTRALIA. SO WE DO NEED TO START TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT. WHAT SHOULD BE BE DOING NOW TO MITIGATE. OTHER PROTOCOLS IN PLACE ENOUGH OR SHOULD WE BE REVIEWING THOSE? LOOK, I THINK FOR THE TIME BEING, THAT MOVED TO LEVEL 2 IS A GOOD MOVE BUT WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE FOR THESE TESTS TO COME BACK FROM THE LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN POTENTIALLY EXPOSED. GIVE OUR CONTACT TRACES A CHANCE TO IDENTIFY AND TRACK DOWN THOSE WHO WERE AT THOSE LOCATIONS. THAT HAS WORKED WELL FOR US IN THE PAST. I THINK AT THE MOMENT WE NEED TO SIT TIGHT AND LET PEOPLE DO THEIR JOBS. EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN IN THE WELLINGTON REGION IT SHOULD BE CHECKING THOSE LOCATIONS OF INTEREST AND MAKING SURE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN EXPOSED. I WANT TO GO ACROSS TO FIJI. WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THAT JUST AFTER 7 O'CLOCK. THEY RECORDED 279 CASES LAST NIGHT, FOR THIS, WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING OVER THERE? THEY ARE HAVING A TERRIBLE OUTBREAK AT THE MOMENT. IT'S DISAPPOINTING. THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY PERHAPS A NUMBER OF WEEKS AGO TO REACT MORE STRONGLY. IT IS MORE DIFFICULT IN COUNTRIES THAT ARE POORER THAN NEW ZEALAND TO ENFORCE STRICT LOCKDOWNS. MOST GOVERNMENTS CAN'T NECESSARILY AFFORD TO SUPPORT PEOPLE'S INCOMES WHILE THEY STAY AT HOME. THE CONSEQUENCES OF LETTING AN OUTBREAK LIKE THIS GET OUT OF CONTROL ARE DEVASTATING. I DO KNOW THERE IS EXTRA VACCINES ON THE WAY TO FIJI, WHICH IS ENCOURAGING, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, ONCE YOU'VE BEEN VACCINATED IT TAKES A WHILE FOR THAT IMMUNITY TO KICK IN WHILE IT WILL IN THE LONG RUN BIG USEFUL, IT'S NOT GOING TO MITIGATE THINGS IN THE SHORT TERM. SHAUN HENDY, WE APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR TIME. DIRECTOR OF AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY'S TE PUNAHA MATATINI. 279 CASES OVERNIGHT. AWFUL. I FIND IT FASCINATING WHY THEY HAVE NOT LOCKED THINGS DOWN. IT HAS BEEN FOR WEEKS NOW, RIGHT? THEY HAVE HAD PARTIAL LOCKDOWNS, NEIGHBOURHOOD LOCKDOWNS. CLEARLY THEY HAVE NOT WORKED. AWFUL. STAY WITH US. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THE BREAK. YOU ARE WITH BREAKFAST. IT IS 6:30 AM. THE BLACKCAPS HAVE WON THE INAUGURAL WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP WITH AN EIGHT-WICKET WIN OVER FELLOW FINALISTS INDIA. PROUD KIWI. WHIPS THAT ONE AWAY, AND HOW APPROPRIATE THAT ROSS TAYLOR AND KANE WILLIAMSON ARE THERE FOR THIS MOMENT FOR THIS TEAM. IT'S A STORY THAT'S AKIN TO DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH, BUT KANE WILLIAMSON AND HIS TEAM NOW WORLD TEST CHAMPIONS NEW ZEALAND MADE A PERFECT START TO THE SIXTH AND FINAL DAY. KYLE JAMIESON TOOK THE IMPORTANT WICKET OF VIRAT KOHLI EARLY, BEFORE THE KIWI ATTACK ROLLED INDIA FOR 170. NEEDING 139 TO WIN, KANE WILLIAMSON BRINGING UP HIS HALF-CENTURY AND ROSS TAYLOR'S 47 RUNS GUIDING THE BLACKCAPS TO THE HISTORIC EIGHT-WICKET VICTORY AND THE FIRST TEAM EVER TO WIN THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP. OH, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE THE HIGHLIGHT TO SAY YOU'RE WORLD CHAMPIONS. YOU KNOW, AT THE START OF MY CAREER, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY DIDN'T THINK WE HAD THE SIDE THAT COULD DO THAT. BUT THE WAY THE TEAM HAVE BUILT OVER THE YEARS, STUCK TOGETHER... YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY FOR THE FANS OVER THERE AND BACK HOME AS WELL. I THINK THEY'VE STUCK WITH US THROUGH THICK AND THIN. TWO YEARS AGO WE STARTED OUT THIS JOURNEY, AND TO BE SITTING HERE, THE FIRST WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS IS PRETTY REWARDING. THERE'S A LOT OF HARD WORK THAT GOES IN BEHIND THE SCENES AND OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND TO BE SITTING HERE, IT'S A PRETTY SPECIAL MOMENT. GENOME TESTING IS UNDERWAY IN THE CASE OF THE SYDNEY MAN WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 AFTER VISITING WELLINGTON OVER THE WEEKEND. OUR REPORTER ABBEY WAKEFIELD, WHO IS OBSERVING SOCIAL DISTANCING AND WEARING A MASK WHICH SHE HAS REMOVED FOR CLARITY, IS OUTSIDE ONE STATION RIGHT NOW. ABBEY, WHAT'S THE ADVICE FOR THOSE IN THE CAPITAL WANTING TO GET TESTED? THE ADVICE FROM HEALTH OFFICIALS IS THAT IF YOU ARE FEELING SYMPTOMATIC TO PLEASE CALL HEALTHLINE TO GET A TEST. WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN A HUGE DEMAND FOR COVID TESTS IN THE WELLINGTON REGION. THIS TESTING STATION BEHIND ME ON TARANAKI STREET IS FULLY BOOKED OUT FOR TODAY. BUT THEY WANT TO REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT YOU CAN GET OUR BOOKING THROUGH YOUR PUBLIC CARE PROVIDERS, AND OTHER TESTING STATIONS HAVE BEEN SET UP ACROSS THE REGIONS. THOSE TESTING STATIONS ARE IN PORIRUA, JOHNSONVILLE, UPPER HUTT AND LOWER HEART. IT INCLUDES PLACES LIKE TE PAPA. THERE WERE NEGATIVE TEST RETURNED YESTERDAY. WE DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THIS CASE HAD THE DATA VARIANT, AND OFFICIALS WILL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE LATER IN THE DAY. THE NEW SOUTH WALES PREMIER ISN'T RULING OUT A COVID-19 LOCKDOWN IN SYDNEY. RESTRICTIONS WERE RAMPED UP IN THE CITY YESTERDAY AFTER THE OUTBREAK GREW BY 16 CASES. PEOPLE IN SEVERAL SUBURBS AREN'T ALLOWED TO LEAVE FOR NON-ESSENTIAL REASONS. THERE ARE NOW 31 CASES LINKED TO THE CLUSTER, WITH FOUR UNABLE TO BE TRACED SO FAR. FIJI'S REPORTED A WORRYING SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES. 279 NEW CASES OVERNIGHT. THE HIGHEST DAILY COUNT SO FAR. IT BRINGS THE SEVEN DAY ROLLING AVERAGE TO 166 CASES A DAY. OFFICIALS SAY THERE'S EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION, WITH SEVERAL CLUSTERS. FOUR DEATHS WERE ALSO REPORTED. THE BIGGEST PRO-DEMOCRACY PAPER IN HONG KONG HAS ANNOUNCED ITS CLOSURE IN A HUGE BLOW TO MEDIA FREEDOM IN THE CITY. APPLE DAILY'S OFFICES WERE RAIDED BY POLICE LAST WEEK AMIDST ALLEGATIONS IT HAD BREACHED A CONTROVERSIAL NATIONAL SECURITY LAW. OFFICERS ARRESTED SIX EXECUTIVES AND FROZE ASSETS LINKED TO THE COMPANY. THE PAPER HAD BEEN CRITICAL OF HONG KONG AND CHINESE LEADERSHIP. ACTOR HARRISON FORD'S INJURED HIMSELF WHILE REHEARSING FOR A FIGHT SCENE FOR THE NEW INDIANA JONES MOVIE. THE 78-YEAR-OLD HURT HIS SHOULDER, PROMPTING THE FILMING RESCHEDULE IN LONDON TO BE REJIGGED. THE FILM'S RELEASE DATE'S ALREADY BEEN POSTPONED SEVERAL TIMES. IT'S CURRENTLY SET DOWN FOR JULY NEXT YEAR. BLACK FERNS SEVENS CAPTAIN SARAH HIRINI AND ROWER HAMISH BOND HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS NEW ZEALAND'S FLAG BEARERS FOR THE TOKYO OLYMPICS. HIRINI WON A SILVER MEDAL AT THE 2016 RIO GAMES, SHE LED THE BLACK FERNS SEVENS TO A HALBERG TEAM OF THE YEAR CROWN AND BECAME A MEMBER OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT FOR SERVICES TO RUGBY. MEANWHILE, HER CO-FLAGBEARER IS NO STRANGER TO AN OLYMPIC GAMES ` BOND WON BACK TO BACK GOLD MEDALS IN LONDON AND RIO. HE'LL COMPETE IN THE MEN'S EIGHT IN TOKYO. NEVER BEEN TO AN OPENING CEREMONY, COS WE'VE TYPICALLY BEEN COMPETING ON THE FIRST DAY AFTER THE OPENING CEREMONY, SO SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SCHEDULE IN TOKYO. YOU KNOW, TO WALK AROUND THE STADIUM, ALTHOUGH AT LIMITED CAPACITY, I THINK WILL STILL BE A GREAT HONOUR AND SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN LOOK BACK IN YEARS' TIME AND BE VERY PROUD OF. HE HAS JUST ANSWERED ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I WAS GOING TO ASK HIM. A LOT OF THE TIME THE FLAG BEARERS EITHER ACCEPT OR SAY NO THANK YOU ACE ON THE SCHEDULE. IF THEY ARE COMPETING ON THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS, THEY GENUINELY WILL SAY THEY CANNOT DO IT. THE OPENING CEREMONIES GO SO LONG. ANYWAY, LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING HAMISH IN THE STUDIO AND ABOUT 20 MINUTES. HE IS LOVELY COMPANY. MORENA, MATT E. WE BRING YOU IN IS OUR RESIDENT CRICKET EXPERT. YOU TAUGHT ME A LOT THIS MORNING. IT WAS A FATHER AND SON MOMENT. YOU LOOK AT THE SCREEN, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF NUMBERS. IT IS HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY ALL MEAN. YOU DID A GREAT JOB OF TAKING ME THROUGH IT. THANK YOU, MATTY. I WAS THERE WITH YOU. IT WAS VERY SWEET OF YOU. WILL BE JOINED BY A BLACK CAP IN THE NEXT HOUR TOO. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR THURSDAY FORECAST. IT IS LOVELY AND SUNNY ONCE THE DAY CRANKS INTO GEAR. A BIT FRESH TO START WITH, THOUGH, WITH FROSTS FOR SOME OF YOU THIS MORNING. 15, 16 DEGREES DURING THE DAY FOR EVERYONE. THAT FROSTY, CHILLY START TO THE DAY THROUGH HERE AS WELL, BUT, AGAIN, IT'S NICE ONCE THE SUN'S UP. JUST A BIT OF EVENING CLOUD ROLLING IN, WITH A COUPLE OF SHOWERS TONIGHT AROUND TAUPO AND TOKOROA. 12 DEGREES IN TOKOROA AND ROTORUA, 14 FOR HAMILTON. YOU'RE IN FOR A DECENT THURSDAY FURTHER EAST; JUST A BIT OF CLOUD COVER AT TIMES. ALTHOUGH HAWKE'S BAY HAS CLEAR SKIES ALL DAY. IT'LL BE FROSTY EARLY ON, THOUGH. 13 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON. 15, 16 DEGREES AROUND HAWKE'S BAY AND GISBORNE. YOU'LL SEE A MIX OF FINE SPELLS AND CLOUD COVER MOVING WEST WITH A COUPLE OF SHOWERS THIS MORNING AROUND WELLINGTON AND LEVIN, HITTING EVERYONE ELSE BRIEFLY THIS AFTERNOON. 14 DEGREES IN THE CAPITAL AND PALMERSTON NORTH, 16 FOR NEW PLYMOUTH. BIT MORE OVERCAST ACROSS THE COOK STRAIT, ALTHOUGH YOU SHOULD SEE THE ODD FINE PATCH IN AMONGST THE CLOUD. DO WATCH OUT FOR A COUPLE OF SHOWERS ALONG THE WEST COAST AS WELL. 14 DEGREES IN KAIKOURA, NELSON AND IN WESTPORT. THAT CLOUD COVER STRETCHES OUT EAST AS WELL, AND YOU SHOULD BE SETTING OFF TO SOME FROSTY CONDITIONS IN CANTERBURY, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME SUNSHINE THAT POKES THROUGH. 12 THE EXPECTED HIGH FOR CHRISTCHURCH AND ALEXANDRA, 13 IN ASHBURTON. AND IT'S GREY IN THE LOWER SOUTH WITH RAIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY IN MILFORD SOUND, HEAVY AT TIMES, WHEREAS FOR MOST OTHERS THE WET WEATHER'S NOT EXPECTED TILL TONIGHT. DUNEDIN SHOULD STAY DRY, THOUGH. 13 DEGREES FOR DUNEDIN, INVERCARGILL AND ON STEWART ISLAND. AND THEN HAVING A LOOK AT YOUR FRIDAY ` TOMORROW, THERE'S SOME RAIN IN THE WEST AROUND TARANAKI AND WAIKATO. EVERYWHERE ELSE LOOKS MORE OVERCAST. AND THERE'S RAIN ALONG THE SOUTH ISLAND'S WEST COAST, HEAVY AT TIMES, WITH HIGH CLOUD AND SCATTERED FALLS FOR MOST OTHERS. DO NOT FORGET BESPOKE WEATHER. WE WILL DO IT JUST AFTER 8 O'CLOCK. BREAKFASTWEATHER.CO.NZ AS THE WEBSITE TO GO TO. THANKS, MATTY. WE APPRECIATE YOU. COMING UP ` HOW A NEW REPORT PAINTS A STARK PICTURE OF OUR STRAINED MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM. YESTERDAY ON BREAKFAST, WE SPOKE TO HEALTH MINISTER ANDREW LITTLE ABOUT OUR MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM AND WHAT HE CALLED THE FRUSTRATION OF WATCHING THE $1.9 BILLION OF SPENDING ANNOUNCED IN 2019'S WELL-BEING BUDGET TAKING SO LONG TO BE SPENT. THIS MORNING, A STRIKING, SHOCKING, COMPELLING INSIGHT INTO WHAT ALL THIS MEANS INSIDE THE SYSTEM. A NEW REPORT HAS BEEN RELEASED, AND IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD, WITH CONCRETE EVIDENCE OF A SYSTEM UNDER STRESS. IT'S FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF SALARIED MEDICAL SPECIALISTS. WHO WELCOMED THE WELL-BEING BUDGET THREE YEARS AGO. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, THEY SAY, A WATERSHED MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY. BUT, AND I QUOTE, 'KEY INDICATORS ARE WORSENING. 'THERE IS A TSUNAMI OF UNMET NEED.' ASMS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SARAH DALTON JOINS US NOW TO EXPLAIN MORE. MORENA. IT IS NICE TO HAVE YOU WITH US. THIS IS GRIM READING. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO COME ON THE SHOW WHEN THEY WERE GOOD NEWS ABOUT HEALTH. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO NOT SANITISE THE TRUTH. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE TELL THE TRUTH. LET'S TALK THROUGH THE TRUTH. I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE WELL-BEING BUDGET INTO THOUSAND AND 19. YOU SAID WE WERE CONFRONTING THE PROBLEM. IT WAS A TIME OF GREAT HOPE. BUT IT IS NEARLY 3 YEARS SINCE THE ENQUIRY REPORTED BACK AND KEY INDICATORS ARE WORSENING. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? IT IS REALLY INTERESTING. ALL OF THESE INDICATORS OTHER MINISTRIES OWN DATA IS. IT IS OTHER TO BE FOUND, AND ALL WE HAVE DONE IS PUT TOGETHER IN A FAIRLY CONCISE WAY TO REALLY PAINT THE PICTURE OF HOW TOUGH IT IS OUT THERE, BOTH FOR THE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO BE SEEN BUT ALSO FOR THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS WHO ARE TRYING TO DO THAT WORK. THE UNIONS ARE SEEING THAT IS A MAJOR CONCERN FOR US. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE NURSES. THE TOTAL MENTAL HEALTH NURSING WORKFORCE INCREASED BY 16% BETWEEN 2011 AND 2019. THEY DO 16%. THIS COMPARES WITH A 37% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SERVERS USES BEING SEEN. IT IS A REALLY GRIM PICTURE. YOU MIGHT TALK TO PEOPLE IN THE DHBs THE SAME THEY HAVE MORE DOCTORS, AND MOST GROUP THAT IS TRUE, BUT THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH. THE TSUNAMI METAPHOR IS A GOOD ONE. IT IS A MASSIVE WAVE OF NEED. WE ARE NOT GETTING IN FRONT OF IT. THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE THE DETERMINATION, THE WILL TO ACTUALLY SAY TO NEW ZEALAND, ACTUALLY, THIS IS A MASSIVE ASK AND IT IS GOING TO BE REALLY EXPENSIVE. IT IS GOING TO TAKE LOTS OF EFFORTS. SOME OF THAT INVESTMENT THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING INTO PRIMARY AND COMMUNITY-BASED CARE IS ABSOLUTELY NEEDED. BUT WE CANNOT STOP INVESTING IN THE POINTY END, WHICH IS A TUTOR PATIENT SERVICE. ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS WITH THAT INVESTMENT IS THAT IT IS PREDICATED AROUND AN ASSUMPTION OF ABOUT 3% OF THE POPULATION WILL HAVE THAT LEVEL OF NEED. IT IS MUCH CLOSER TO 5%. WE HAVE BEEN GOING ALONG WITH THIS 3% ASSUMPTION FOR YEARS, WHICH MEANS WE ARE UNDERFUNDING THE SECTOR BY SOMEWHERE AROUND 40%. IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME. WE DID NOT BUILD IT AND THEY ARE STILL COMING. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OCCUPANCY RATES ON PAGE 14. AVERAGE QUARTERLY FIGURES SHOW THAT THE FIGURES FREQUENTLY EXCEED 100 SET OCCUPANCY IN A YEAR. THEN YOU TELL US THAT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FIGURE FOR EUROPE IS AROUND 77%. WE SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH BEDS. NO, WE HAVE SOME OF THE SMALLEST NUMBER OF PROVISIONS OF INPATIENT BEDS IN THE WORLD FOR COUNTRIES LIKE US. WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO LOOK AFTER THE BEDS THAT WE DO HAVE. IF YOU ARE ADMITTED TO AN INPATIENT UNIT, YOU NEED PEACE, YOU NEED CALM, YOU NEED TIME FOR REST AND RECOVERY AS WELL AS TALKING AND OTHER KINDS OF THERAPY. AND WHAT WE ARE PUTTING PEOPLE IN OUR OVERCROWDED SPACES, WHERE IN SOME CASES, IT IS NOT SAFE TO BE. WE ARE ACTUALLY MAKING IT WORSE FOR THOSE PEOPLE, EVEN THOSE LUCKY ONES WHO ARE GETTING ACCESS TO CARE. THEY ARE NOT VERY GOOD PLACES TO BE, AND HENCE THAT ONGOING RELIANCE ON SECLUSION. WE COVERED THE WELL-BEING BUDGET AT THE TIME. I SPOKE TO YOUR PREDECESSOR. IT WAS DESCRIBED AS A WATERSHED MOMENT. WHAT YOU ARE SAYING VERY EXPLICITLY IS THAT IT IS NOT ENOUGH. THAT IS RIGHT. IT IS NOT ENOUGH. THE OTHER THING AS THERE ARE ALL OF THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS THAT LEAD PEOPLE TO A PATHWAY THAT ENDS IN MENTAL ILL-HEALTH, POVERTY, INSECURE HOUSING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE BANG ON ABOUT, BUT THEY ARE A GRIM REALITY TO SO MANY PEOPLE. IF WE ARE GETTING THAT PART OF THE EQUATION WRONG, THEN THIS IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE. THERE ARE STILL GOING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE. ALSO THE HOUSING AND THE SUPPORTIVE ACCOMMODATION IN THE CARE AND THE COMMUNITY MEANS THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE ALREADY IN INPATIENT UNITS THAT IS BETTER SUPPORT WAS AVAILABLE OUTSIDE, THEY COULD BE DISCHARGED AND THERE WILL BE REVEL MORE PEOPLE. WE JUST HAD NOT LINED UP ALL OF THOSE DUCKS. ONE OF OUR MEMBERS RING US YESTERDAY AND HE HAS INVITED MINISTER LITTLE TO SPEND A DAY WITH HIM. HE IS A PSYCHIATRIST. HE WOULD LOVE TO SHOW THE MINISTER THE DAILY REALITY OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I WILL PUT THAT OUT THERE, AND IF ANDREW HAS TIME IN HIS DIARY, I AM SURE WE COULD FIND IS A PEOPLE FOR HIM TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH AND SEE FOR HIMSELF. FINAL QUESTION, THERE ARE SO MUCH TO DISCUSS, AND I REALLY RECOMMEND PEOPLE READ THIS REPORT. IT IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE. YOU SAY THIS IS A PROBLEM MANY DECADES IN THE MAKING. YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT LEAD TO PEOPLE NEEDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION, POOR HOUSING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. HOW DO WE SOLVE A PROBLEM SO BIG, SO BROAD, AND SO LONG IN THE MAKING? I THINK WE NEED MUCH BETTER NATIONAL CONVERSATIONS, BOTH ABOUT THE DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND WHAT IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE TO INVEST IN PUBLIC SERVICES THAT ARE GOING TO SUPPORT WELL-BEING FOR OUR PEOPLE. AND THAT IS A REALLY BIG CONVERSATION, AND IT IS NOT A CHEAP ONE. I WOULD MAKE THE VERY QUICK POINT THAT OUR MEMBERS WHO ARE AT THE COALFACE OF THIS AND THEIR COLLEAGUES, NURSES, AND OTHER ALLIED HEALTH CARE WORKERS LIKE PSYCHOLOGISTS AND KEY WORKERS, THEY CANNOT EVEN GET A COST OF LIVING INCREASE AT THE MOMENT, SO WE'RE NOT EVEN LOOKING AFTER THOSE PEOPLE AT THE POINTY END OF MENTAL HEALTH, AND THAT REALLY CONCERNS ME, BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE AND ELBOWS IN WITH THEIR FEET, AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE THE PEOPLE WE HAVE IN THERE NOW DOING THAT WORK AND REALLY TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. WE ARE ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN OUR MENTAL HEALTH, THE TEAM OF 5 MILLION. I REALLY RECOMMEND PEOPLE READ THIS REPORT. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR WORK. STAY WITH US. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THE BREAK. WE WILL BE HERE WITH HAMISH BOND. (FLY BUZZES) THINKS: Hmmm... If I get hurt, who's gonna give me a bath? IS COMING UP TO 6:56. IT'S NOW LESS THAN A MONTH UNTIL THE OLYMPIC GAMES GET UNDERWAY IN TOKYO. THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM WAS OFFICIALLY FAREWELLED AT A FUNCTION IN AUCKLAND LAST NIGHT, AND FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE LIKES OF SIR PETER SNELL, BARBARA KENDALL, AND PETER BURLING AND BLAIR TUKE IN RIO, SARAH HIRINI AND HAMISH BOND HAVE BEEN NAMED AS NEW ZEALAND FLAGBEARER FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY. EVEN BETTER ` TWO-TIME OLYMPIC ROWING CHAMPION HAMISH BOND JOINS US NOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO JOIN US BY VIDEO. YOU ARE BUGGERED. THE WEEKS ARE LONG AT THE MOMENT. BURNING MULTIPLE CANDLES. WE ARE IN THE FINAL COUNTDOWN. JUST HAVE TO KEEP THE FOOT DOWN AND GET ON THE PLANE AND HOPEFULLY RELAX IN TOKYO. CONGRATULATIONS. HOW WAS THE CEREMONY LAST NIGHT? IT WAS SPECIAL. THE PROCESS OF` I HAVE SEEN FLAG BEARER PRESENTATION CEREMONIES BEFORE, BUT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HELD AT GAMES VILLAGES. OF COURSE. USUALLY JUST IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE OPENING CEREMONY. THAT WAS QUITE DIFFERENT. IT WAS SPECIAL, I GUESS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY WERE ABLE TO TURN UP. IT WAS A UNIQUE OCCASION. WHEN DID YOU FIND OUT? ROB GAVE ME A CALL A WEEK OR SO AGO TO SOUND ME OUT ABOUT THE ROLE. THERE ARE SOME LOGISTICS AND PLAY, GIVEN WHEN THE COMPETITION SCHEDULE IS. YOU ARE IN THE SECOND WEEK, IS THAT RIGHT? NO, BUT WE DO NOT START RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING. THERE ARE A FEW DAYS BETWEEN THE OPENINGS ARE MANY AND MY FIRST RACE. WE HAD NOT EVEN QUALIFIED AS THE NEW ZEALAND MEN'S EIGHT UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO, SO IT WAS SORT OF OUT OF THE BLUE. WE HAVE BEEN SOLELY FOCUSED ON GETTING THE BOAT TO THE OLYMPICS WITH MY TEAMMATES. THIS SORT OF CAME FROM LEFT FIELD A LITTLE BIT. HOW SPECIAL IS IT ALSO TO BE NAMED ALONGSIDE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THERE HAS BEEN APPEARING OF YOURSELF AND SARAH. HOW SPECIAL IS THAT? IT IS REALLY GREAT. I THINK IT IS A GREAT EVOLUTION OF THE FLAG BEARER ROLE. I THINK IT IS TOPICAL, GIVEN THE RISE OF WOMEN IN SPORT IN NEW ZEALAND AND INTERNATIONALLY. I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT WERE THE LIKELY NEW ZEALAND METAL PROSPECTS ARE COMING FROM, LARGELY DOMINATED BY WOMEN. I THINK SARAH BEING IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE IS A FAIR REFLECTION OF IT. I THINK IT IS BEAUTIFUL. CONGRATULATIONS, AND I WANT TO PARK THAT AND LOOK AT THE BUILDUP TOWARDS THE TOKYO OLYMPICS, BECAUSE THIS IS DIFFERENT FOR YOU ON A NUMBER OF LEVELS. YOU DO NOT HAVE OLD MATE DEREK MURRAY WITH YOU. YOU HAVE SEVEN OTHER CREWMEMBERS. YOU HAVE ONLY JUST QUALIFIED. NORMALLY YOU WOULD BE OVERSEAS. HOW HAS THE BUILDUP BEEN? IT HAS BEEN A ROLLERCOASTER. THE POST MOMENT INITIALLY. ULTIMATELY, THE POSTPONEMENT HAS BEEN A BENEFIT GIVEN WE HAVE A NUMBER OF REALLY YOUNG GUYS WHO IN AN ADDITIONAL 12 MONTHS, IT HAS BEEN THEY HAVE COME ON IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS. 12 MONTHS IS A 21-YEAR-OLD IS MASSIVE IN TERMS OF YOUR CAREER DEVELOPMENT. I THINK WE ARE A BETTER CREW THAN WHAT WE WOULD HAVE LINED UP 12 MONTHS AGO, WHICH IS GOOD, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE GONE FROM PRETENDERS TO POTENTIAL CONTENDERS. LIKE YOU SAY, IT IS VERY DIFFERENT PREPARING IN NEW ZEALAND. I HAVE PROBABLY ONLY DONE IT ONCE BEFORE LEADING INTO OPEN A CALL COMPETITION. PREPARING AT HOME, AND JUST TRAVELLING LAST-MINUTE TO AN EVENT. WE ARE TRYING TO MITIGATE THE` OBVIOUSLY, IT IS GOING TO BE REALLY HOT. I THINK THE NEW ZEALAND OLYMPIC COMMITTEE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB, AND I AM SURE THEY WILL BE 2ND TO NONE IN TERMS OF PREPARATION COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. I AM PLANNING A RELATIVELY SEAMLESS EXPERIENCE FROM AN ATHLETE POINT OF VIEW. THERE WILL OBVIOUSLY BE DAILY HURDLES TO GET OVER, COVID TESTS, MASK WEARING, JUST A NORMAL JAZZ. BUT IN SOME WAYS FORTUNATELY FOR MY PARTICULAR CREW, WE TRAVELLED TO SWISS AND RECENTLY FOR QUALIFICATION, AND WE WENT THROUGH I SUSPECT A MINI VERSION OF THAT. SLIGHTLY LESS EXTREME, BUT WE DO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH WEARING MASKS MORE OR LESS ALL DAY. AND COMPETING WITH FENCES AND HE CHECKS. THIS IS YOUR FOURTH OLYMPICS. IT IS DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF THE BUILDUP THAT YOU HAVE JUST TALKED ABOUT, BUT IN TERMS FOR YOUR MINDSET AND THE WAY YOU ARE GOING INTO A, IS IT DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND THEN IT HAS BEEN FROM YOUR FIRST LONG? PROBABLY MORE SIMILAR TO THE FIRST ONE IN THE MIDDLE TWO. THE FIRST ONE I WENT ON A MEANS FOR DEBATING. * BEJING I WAS ONLY 21, AND WE WENT UNDEFEATED TO LONDON WITH ERIC. THERE WAS A BIT OF A FAIL. IT HAD ITS OWN UNIQUE PRESSURES. YOU ALSO HAD THE CONFIDENCE OF KNOWING THAT IF YOU ACHIEVED YOUR POTENTIAL, YOU WILL PROBABLY WIN. NOW, FAR MORE UNKNOWNS. YOU ARE SHARING THE LOAD A LOT MORE. 12 1/2% OF THE INPUT AS OPPOSED TO 50%. THAT IS WHERE HAVING A LEADERSHIP ROLE AMONGST THE CREW CAN BENEFIT, OBVIOUSLY, NOT ONLY THE GUYS BUT NEED. I NEED EVERYONE. AND THEY NEED ME. WE ALL NEED TO BE A REALLY HIGH-LEVEL TO BE COMPETITIVE. WHEN YOU GO? WE LEAVE LATE EVENING ON 9 JULY. I BET YOU CAN'T WAIT. YOU ARE SO TIRED. IT IS JUST EARLY-MORNING TRAININGS, EVENING EVENTS, BUT IT WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE FOCUSED. REALLY, ALL I HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON FOR 12 MONTHS IS MAKING AN EIGHT GO AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. HAMISH, CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING ANNOUNCES A FLAG BEARER FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY, AND ALSO ALL THE BEST OVER THERE. THANK YOU. HAMISH BOND, DOUBLE OLYMPIC CHAMPION. GOD DAMN. IT IS JUST GONE 702. THE BLACKCAPS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS, SALVAGING AN HISTORIC VICTORY BY BEATING INDIA IN THE TEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL WHIPS THAT ONE AWAY. HOW APPROPRIATE. IT IS A STORY THAT IS AKIN TO DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH. NEW ZEALAND MADE A PERFECT START TO THE SIXTH AND FINAL DAY. KYLE JAMIESON TOOK THE IMPORTANT WICKET OF VIRAT KOHLI EARLY, BEFORE THE KIWI ATTACK ROLLED INDIA FOR 170. NEEDING 139 TO WIN, KANE WILLIAMSON BRINGING UP HIS HALF-CENTURY AND ROSS TAYLOR'S 47 RUNS, GUIDING THE BLACKCAPS TO THE HISTORIC EIGHT WICKET VICTORY AND THE FIRST TEAM EVER TO WIN THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP. OH, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE THE HIGHLIGHT TO SAY YOU'RE WORLD CHAMPIONS. YOU KNOW, AT THE START OF MY CAREER, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY DIDN'T THINK WE HAD THE SIDE THAT COULD DO THAT. BUT THE WAY THE TEAM HAVE BUILT OVER THE YEARS, STUCK TOGETHER... YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY FOR THE FANS OVER THERE AND BACK HOME AS WELL. I THINK THEY'VE STUCK WITH US THROUGH THICK AND THIN. AND OUR EUROPE CORRESPONDENT DANIEL FAITAUA IS LIVE IN SOUTHAMPTON OUTSIDE THE GROUND, DANIEL. THE WEATHER PLAYED BALL. WILLIAMSON AND TAYLOR AT THE END. THE KIWI FANS MUST BE PRETTY PLEASED. YOU COULDN'T ASK FOR A BITTER ENDING TO THE STORY. THE FANS INDEED A VERY VERY PLEASED. THE OFFICIALS ARE STARTING TO WALK OUT. THE KIWI FANS HAVE MADE THEIR WAY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ROSE BOWL. WE MET UP WITH TWO KIWIS WHO PICKED UP ROSS TAYLOR'S SHOES. AS WELL AS WILLIAMSON'S SHOES. THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE THESE ITEMS WOULD BE THROWN OUT TO THE KIWI CROWD. THEY ARE GOING TO HOLD THOSE ITEMS FOR EVER. THE FANS ARE REALLY HAPPY WITH TODAY'S RESULT. THE INDIAN FANS WERE A BIT DISAPPOINTED. SOME BLAMED THE WEATHER. SOME ALSO BLAMED LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE MATCH. RIGHT NOW, MANY HERE SAY IS ALL ABOUT CRICKET. CRICKET IS THE WINNER OF THE DAY. ONE OF NEW ZEALAND'S GREATEST IN CRICKET HISTORY. NEW ZEALAND HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A SMALL NATION BUT PERFECTLY FORMIDABLE. BACK HERE ` WELLINGTON'S WOKEN UP TO ITS FIRST DAY IN LEVEL 2, AFTER A SYDNEY MAN TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 AFTER TRAVELLING TO THE CAPITAL OVER THE WEEKEND. OUR REPORTER ABBEY WAKEFIELD IS OUTSIDE WELLINGTON RAILWAY STATION, WEARING HER MASK. IS THE STATION QUIETER THAN USUAL, ABBEY? KIA ORA. IT'S DEFINITELY A LITTLE QUIETER THAN IT USUALLY IS AT THIS HOUR. THAT IS PROBABLY TO BE EXPECTED AS SOME WORKPLACES HAVE ADVISED AFTER WORK FROM HOME IF POSSIBLE. THE CAPITAL HAS SEEN QUITE A HUGE DEMAND FOR COVID-19 TESTS. TESTING STATIONS HAVE BEEN SET UP ACROSS THE REGION. ONE OF THOSE ON TARANAKI STREET IS FULLY BOOKED FOR TODAY. THE DHB WANTS TO REMIND OTHERS YOU CAN GET A TEST THROUGH YOUR PUBLIC CARE PROVIDER. SOME TESTING STATIONS IN PORIRUA, JOHNSONVILLE, LOWER HUTT, UPPER HUTT AND A POP UP IN HATAITAI. LOCATIONS INCLUDE ` WE DO HAVE GOOD NEWS. THE FOUR CLOSE CONTACTS IDENTIFIED YESTERDAY HAVE RETURNED NEGATIVE TESTS. WE STILL DON'T KNOW IF THE ORIGINAL CASE HAD THE DELTA VARIANT. CHRIS HIPKINS WILL BE ON LATER TO LET US KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS THE CASE. THE NEW SOUTH WALES PREMIER ISN'T RULING OUT A COVID-19 LOCKDOWN IN SYDNEY. RESTRICTIONS WERE RAMPED UP IN THE CITY YESTERDAY, AFTER THE OUTBREAK GREW BY 16 CASES. PEOPLE IN SEVERAL SUBURBS AREN'T ALLOWED TO LEAVE FOR NON-ESSENTIAL REASONS. THERE ARE NOW 31 CASES LINKED TO THE CLUSTER, WITH FOUR UNABLE TO BE TRACED SO FAR. BLACK FERNS SEVENS CAPTAIN SARAH HIRINI AND ROWER HAMISH BOND HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS NEW ZEALAND'S FLAG BEARERS FOR THE TOKYO OLYMPICS. HIRINI WON A SILVER MEDAL AT THE 2016 RIO GAMES, SHE LED THE BLACK FERNS SEVENS TO A HALBERG TEAM OF THE YEAR CROWN, AND BECAME A MEMBER OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT FOR SERVICES TO RUGBY. CO-FLAGBEARER IS NO STRANGER TO AN OLYMPIC GAMES. BOND WON BACK-TO-BACK GOLD MEDALS IN LONDON AND RIO. HE'LL COMPETE IN THE MEN'S EIGHT IN TOKYO. JUST SHOW THE COMMUNITY WHERE I'M FROM, THE KIMBOLTON FEILDING COMMUNITY, THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TO REPRESENT YOUR COUNTRY DOING SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE, AND POTENTIALLY BE A FLAG BEARER FOR NEW ZEALAND IS SOMETHING THAT I'LL DEFINITELY BE PASSING ON. AND IF ANYONE WANTS TO GET A DRINK TO CELEBRATE AFTER THE OPENING CEREMONY, THEY MIGHT BE HARD-PRESSED TO FIND ONE. ORGANISERS OF THE GAMES HAVE BEEN FORCED TO GET RID OF ALCOHOL AT VENUES AFTER PUBLIC BACKLASH. TOKYO STILL FACES RESTRICTIONS ON ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. OFFICIALS SAY THE DECISION'S BEEN MADE TO ENSURE THE OLYMPICS WERE SAFE AND SECURE. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, SILENT. SILENT. SILENCED. IF THEY ARE TOLD TO BE SILENT, THEY WILL BE. THEY ARE VERY POLITE. WHEREAS YOU ARE THE OPPOSITE OF SOMEONE TELLS YOU TO DO SOMETHING. I TEND TO DO THE OPPOSITE, WHICH IS A FORM OF IMMATURITY. I'M SURE YOU A TOP-OF-THE-LINE SET. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR THURSDAY FORECAST. IT IS LOVELY AND SUNNY ONCE THE DAY CRANKS INTO GEAR. A BIT FRESH TO START WITH, THOUGH, WITH FROSTS FOR SOME OF YOU THIS MORNING. 15, 16 DEGREES DURING THE DAY FOR EVERYONE. THAT FROSTY, CHILLY START TO THE DAY THROUGH HERE AS WELL, BUT, AGAIN, IT'S NICE ONCE THE SUN'S UP. JUST A BIT OF EVENING CLOUD ROLLING IN, WITH A COUPLE OF SHOWERS TONIGHT AROUND TAUPO AND TOKOROA. 12 DEGREES IN TOKOROA AND ROTORUA, 14 FOR HAMILTON. YOU'RE IN FOR A DECENT THURSDAY FURTHER EAST; JUST A BIT OF CLOUD COVER AT TIMES. ALTHOUGH HAWKE'S BAY HAS CLEAR SKIES ALL DAY. IT'LL BE FROSTY EARLY ON, THOUGH. 13 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON. 15, 16 DEGREES AROUND HAWKE'S BAY AND GISBORNE. YOU'LL SEE A MIX OF FINE SPELLS AND CLOUD COVER MOVING WEST WITH A COUPLE OF SHOWERS THIS MORNING AROUND WELLINGTON AND LEVIN, HITTING EVERYONE ELSE BRIEFLY THIS AFTERNOON. 14 DEGREES IN THE CAPITAL AND PALMERSTON NORTH, BIT MORE OVERCAST ACROSS THE COOK STRAIT, ALTHOUGH YOU SHOULD SEE THE ODD FINE PATCH IN AMONGST THE CLOUD. DO WATCH OUT FOR A COUPLE OF SHOWERS ALONG THE WEST COAST AS WELL. 14 DEGREES IN KAIKOURA, NELSON AND IN WESTPORT. THAT CLOUD COVER STRETCHES OUT EAST AS WELL, AND YOU SHOULD BE SETTING OFF TO SOME FROSTY CONDITIONS IN CANTERBURY, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME SUNSHINE THAT POKES THROUGH. 12 THE EXPECTED HIGH FOR CHRISTCHURCH AND ALEXANDRA, 13 IN ASHBURTON. AND IT'S GREY IN THE LOWER SOUTH WITH RAIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY IN MILFORD SOUND, HEAVY AT TIMES, WHEREAS FOR MOST OTHERS THE WET WEATHER'S NOT EXPECTED TILL TONIGHT. DUNEDIN SHOULD STAY DRY, THOUGH. 13 DEGREES FOR DUNEDIN, INVERCARGILL AND ON STEWART ISLAND. AND THEN HAVING A LOOK AT YOUR FRIDAY ` TOMORROW, THERE'S SOME RAIN IN THE WEST AROUND TARANAKI AND WAIKATO. EVERYWHERE ELSE LOOKS MORE OVERCAST. AND THERE'S RAIN ALONG THE SOUTH ISLAND'S WEST COAST, HEAVY AT TIMES, WITH HIGH CLOUD AND SCATTERED FALLS FOR MOST OTHERS. THAT YOUR WEATHER. THANK YOU. LOTS OF JOY IN THE STUDIO THIS MORNING AS WELL AS TREPIDATION ABOUT WELLINGTON. WE TURN NOW TO A SERIOUS SUBJECT. WHILE MUCH OF THE NEW ZEALAND MEDIA'S COVID-19 RELATED COVERAGE WAS UNDERSTANDABLY CONCERNED WITH THE CONFIRMED CASE FROM AUSTRALIA WHO VISITED OUR CAPITAL THIS PAST WEEKEND, YESTERDAY THE OUTBREAK THAT FIJIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO CONTAIN SINCE APRIL GOT CONSIDERABLY WORSE. THE 279 NEW CASES REPORTED LAST NIGHT FAR OUT-STRIPPED THE PREVIOUS DAILY RECORD AND, TRAGICALLY, FOUR DEATHS AS A RESULT OF THE VIRUS WERE ALSO CONFIRMED. JOINING US TO PROVIDE HER EXPERT AND EMPATHETIC INSIGHT INTO THE SITUATION, WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST 1 NEWS PACIFIC CORRESPONDENT BARBARA DREAVER. MORENA. I CAN TELL YOU FEEL THE WEIGHT OF THIS. IT HAS THAT FEEL OF BEING UNCONTROLLED. WE ARE CERTAINLY GETTING THAT. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 11 DEATHS SO FAR IN THIS OUTBREAK, HOWEVER THERE HAVE BEEN 20 PEOPLE AND THIS OUTBREAK WHO HAVE DIED WHO HAVE HAD COVID-19, AUTHORITIES HOWEVER ARE NOT COUNTING THOSE NINE CASES AS THEY SAY THEY DIED OF OTHER CAUSES. NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT 166 JUST A WEEK LATER, IT REALLY DOES FEEL BAD. LOOKING AT THE STATEMENT FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH LAST NIGHT SAYS WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE NEXT WAVE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE DELTA VARIANT. OFFICIALS ARE SAYING IS GOING TO GET WORSE AND THE REASON WHY THEY KNOW THAT IS BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TURNING UP POSITIVE, COME FROM A REALLY CROWDED SETTLEMENTS. THERE IS THIS HUGE FEAR, AND RIGHTLY SO, THERE ARE SO MANY MORE PEOPLE INFECTED. ONE PERSON DIED ON ARRIVAL AT THE HOSPITAL. SHE CAME IN AND DIED ON ARRIVAL WITH COVID-19. THAT MEANS SHE HAD BEEN INFECTED ALL THAT TIME. AND DYING ALL THAT TIME. WE ARE .1% OFF. AT THE MOMENT THERE IS TEST POSITIVITY, THAT IS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THEY GET TESTED MEASURED AGAINST THOSE WHO TEST POSITIVE. AT THE MOMENT IT'S 4.9%. IF IT'S AT 5%, YOU HAVE TROUBLE. WE ARE .1% OFF THAT AND I SUSPECT IS MORE THAN THAT. CAN FEED YOU COPE WITH THIS? NO. THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UN THAT IS IN FIJI SAID UNLESS PEOPLE TAKE, BECAUSE THERE IS NO LOCKDOWN, THERE IS TARGETED CONTAINED AREAS AND SOME VILLAGES ARE LOCKED DOWN, BUT HE SAID UNLESS PEOPLE TAKE THESE PRECAUTIONS WE ARE LOOKING AT COLLAPSE OF INFRASTRUCTURE. A LOT OF THE MEDICAL FACILITIES ARE INFECTED. THE HOSPITAL AS A COVID CENTRE. THE TEAM IS MOSTLY LED BY AUSTRALIANS BUT THERE ARE TWO KIWI DOCTORS. I THINK THEY ARE STILL QUARANTINING? THEY HAVE TO. THEIR FIRST JOB IS TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND PUT ON SAFETY MEASURES. THE HOSPITAL ALSO HAS IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE DIAGNOSTIC LAB AND OTHER SERVICES PEOPLE NEED TO USE AND PEOPLE CAN'T GO THERE. THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE THINGS THEY LOOK AT. I AM SERIOUSLY WORRIED ABOUT FIJI AS IS EVERYBODY. MY FRIENDS AND FIJI ARE SAYING WE ARE SCARED. YOU HAVE GOT TO REMEMBER, A HUGE PERCENTAGE HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST ASTRAZENECA. THAT ONLY THEIR FIRST VACCINE. CAN WE COME BACK TO LOCKDOWN, OR THE ABSENCE THERE OF. WHAT IS ABOUT FIJI THAT HAS MADE AUTHORITIES THERE SO RELUCTANT TO IMPOSE OUR LOCKDOWN NEW ZEALAND STYLE? I SUPPOSE IT'S WORLDWIDE, IT'S THE ECONOMIC CONCERN. ONE THING WITH FIJI IS THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN VILLAGES, WHEN YOU LOCKDOWN, THEY CAN'T ACCESS FOOD AND THE BASICS. YOU HAVE TWO LEVELS. THE BUSINESSES WHO NEED TO KEEP GOING, AND THAT WE GET HERE IN NEW ZEALAND. THEN YOU HAVE THE SMALL SETTLEMENTS, WHERE PEOPLE, IF YOU LOCKDOWN, MAY DIE OF HUNGER. THEY HAVE TAKEN TO SOCIAL MEDIA, THANK GOODNESS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA. THAT WAY THE GOVERNMENT HAS DROPPED FOOD PACKAGES TO THEM. SOME OF THE SETTLEMENTS THAT ARE AFFECTED, THEY ARE SETTLEMENTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE JUST CONGREGATED IN AND THEY ARE OVERCROWDED AND A SLUM LIKE. THE DELTA VARIANT IS DISASTROUS. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENS NOW? IT WILL BE NICE IF WE COULD SEE SOME LEADERS NOW, FOR A START. THE PRIME MINISTER APPEARS TO BE MISSING IN ACTION. DR JAMES FONG, THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH HAS BEEN FRONTING EVERYTHING. I AM STAGGERED BY THE FACT THAT WE SEE HIM. HE IS THERE ASHLEY BLOOMFIELD. ASHLEY IS NORMALLY ACCOMPANIED BY A POLITICIAN OF SOME SORT. DR JAMES IS OFTEN ALONE. I FEEL FOR HIM. THE MEDICAL AUTHORITIES THERE ARE FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE. HE WAS IN ISOLATION TOO. HE WAS IN A ROOM WHERE THERE WERE POSITIVE CASES. THEY HAD A RIOT, A SMALL KIND OF RIOT THE OTHER DAY IN A VILLAGE WHERE PEOPLE WERE FIGHTING EACH OTHER AND POLICE ENDED UP ARRESTING THREE TEENAGERS. YOU LOOK AT THE VIDEO, NO ONE IS WEARING A MASK, EVERYONE IS INTERACTING, FIGHTING EACH OTHER. POLICE HAD TO STEP IN. DR JAMES SAID THIS IS ALL IT TAKES FOR EVERYONE TO BE A INFECTED. I AM SO CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE DEGREE OF YOUR CONCERN. I CAN TELL YOU A VERY WORRIED. WHAT MORE CAN NEW ZEALAND DO? MEDICAL PERSONNEL. I KNOW WE'RE SHORT HERE TOO AND THAT IS THE ISSUE. BUT SERIOUSLY, TWO DOCTORS? TO MEDICAL STAFF, I'M NOT EVEN SURE THEY ARE DOCTORS. I KNOW WE HAVE CONTRIBUTED A HUGE AMOUNT OF ASTRAZENECA. WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR FIJI TO REQUEST. FIJI HAS OBVIOUSLY REQUESTED A MEDICAL TEAM. I THINK THERE COULD BE MORE DONE FOR SURE GIVEN THE ESCALATION OF THIS AND THE DELTA VARIANT. FIJI IS ONE OF OUR CLOSEST NEIGHBOURS, IT IS CLEAR THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. I WAIT WITH A KIND OF DREAD TO SEE WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT 24-HOUR IS. ALSO, THERE IS A BIG FIJI IN A COMMUNITY IN NEW ZEALAND. WE WISH THEM AND EVERYONE CONNECTED WITH FIJI WELL. COMING UP ` COVID RESPONSE MINISTER CHRIS HIPKINS JOINS US WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION AND ADVICE FOLLOWING THE ALERT LEVEL CHANGE IN THE WELLINGTON REGION. WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST. WE'RE JUST HANDING BY FOR CHRIS HIPKINS, HE IS JUST WRAPPING UP ANOTHER INTERVIEW. WE WANT TO GET THE LATEST ON THIS CASE THAT TRAVELLED FROM SYDNEY TO WELLINGTON OVER THE WEEKEND. FROM THE LOOKS OF IT, THEY HAD A BIT OF A DECENT TIME. IF HE DID NOT HAVE COVID, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PERFECT TOURIST. HE VISITED A NUMBER OF PLACES. AND NOW WE CROSS LIVE TO THE BEEHIVE, WHERE COVID-19 RESPONSE MINISTER CHRIS HIPKINS IS WAITING TO PROVIDE US WITH ALL THE LATEST INFORMATION HE HAS TO HAND RELATED TO THE NOW-CONFIRMED COVID CASE FROM NEW SOUTH WALES WHO VISITED OUR CAPITAL THIS PAST WEEKEND. MORENA, MINISTER. THANK YOU SO MUCH OR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. ARE YOU ABLE TO TELL US WHAT THE VARIANT IS? WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT INFORMATION CONVEYED TO US BY AUSTRALIA YET. THE ADVICE WE GOT YESTERDAY IS THAT WE SHOULD WORK ON THE BASIS THAT IT WOULD BE THE DELTA VARIANT AND LINKS TO THE CURRENT CLUSTER THAT THEY ARE DEALING WITH. WE WILL GET CONFIRMATION OF THAT OR OTHERWISE WHEN WE GET THE WHOLE GENE SEQUENCE. THEY WERE AIMING TO GET IT TO US LATE LAST NIGHT, BUT AS OF ABOUT 20 MINUTES AGO, IT HAD NOT ARRIVED YET. HAS THE TEST FOR THE POSITIVE CASES WIFE COME BACK YET? WE HAVE HAD UNCONFIRMED REPORTS OF THAT. THE PERSON THEMSELVES HAS INDICATED THAT THEIR PARTNER IS ASYMPTOMATIC. BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD A VERIFICATION OF THE TEST RESULT AT THIS POINT. WE WILL SEE THAT AS SOON AS WE GET IT. BACK HERE, ARE THERE ANY OTHER NEW COMMUNITY CASES THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF? NO NEW CASES HAVE COME TO OVERNIGHT. THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN TESTING YESTERDAY. THERE WILL BE AN EVEN BIGGER INCREASE TODAY. THERE IS EXTRA CAPACITY COMING ON SO PEOPLE DO NOT HAD TO WAIT AS LONG. IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE TO STAND UP THOSE EXTRA SITES, BUT WE ARE AIMING TO DO THAT THIS MORNING. THAT WILL TELL US A LOT MORE. NO NEW CASES SO FAR. WHAT ABOUT LOCATIONS OF INTEREST? I PRINTED OUT THE LATEST LOCATIONS THIS MORNING, HE HAD A BIT OF A GOOD TIME. THAT WAS GREAT IF HE DID NOT HAVE COVID, BUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER LOCATIONS OF INTEREST? NO EXTRA LOCATIONS OF INTEREST THAT I AM AWARE OF, BUT WE KEEP THAT LIST UPDATED. AS WE GO TO THE CONTACT TRACING PROCESS, POTENTIALLY PEOPLE REMEMBER EXTRA THINGS. THE PEOPLE CONCERNED HE DO SEEM TO BE VERY GOOD AND DILIGENT ABOUT SCANNING AND USING THE QR CODES AND KEEPING A RECORD OF THEIR MOVEMENTS. THE LIST WAS ABLE TO BE PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE FROM FAIRLY EARLY ON. I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE RELEASE OF INFORMATION. AT 11 O'CLOCK ON TUESDAY, NEW SOUTH WALES OFFICIALS PUT OUT A RELEASE CONFIRMING THE POSITIVE CASE, BUT ALSO THE FLIGHT DETAILS THAT HE TRAVELLED TO NEW ZEALAND ON AND THEN BACK TO SYDNEY. PLACES OF INTEREST WERE NOT RELEASED UNTIL AROUND ABOUT 8:45 YESTERDAY. WHAT ARE THE ISSUES WITH RELEASING SOME OF THOSE PLACES OF INTEREST OR MAYBE EVEN ASKING PEOPLE TO STAY OUT OF THE CITY YESTERDAY MORNING? BECAUSE A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE WENT INTO WORK, AND HAD TO BE TOLD TO LEAVE ONCE THOSE PLACES OF INTEREST WERE OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED. WE WERE FIRST NOTIFIED OF THE CASE LATE ON TUESDAY. IT WAS AROUND 845 AT NIGHT THAT WE WERE NOTIFIED OF THE CASE. OUR CONTACT TRACING TEAMS AND START TO WORK TO ASSEMBLE INFORMATION, WHAT FLIGHTS THEY WERE ON AND HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE ON THE FLIGHTS AND GET IN CONTACT WITH THEM, AND IDENTIFY WHERE THEY HAD BEEN, GET IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE AND SO ON. THAT WOULD KEEP THEM STRAIGHT AWAY. THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT MAKE IT CHALLENGING. AFTER ABOUT 9 PM A LOT OF PEOPLE DO NOT ANSWER THEIR PHONES. THEY ARE OFTEN ASLEEP. IN AUSTRALIA, LATER INTO THE EVENING, GETS LATER OVER THE, AND OVERHEARING IS EVEN EARLIER OVERLY IN THE MORNING. WITHIN 12 HOURS, WE HAD RELEASED THE KEY DETAILS, AND THAT INCLUDED AN OVERNIGHT PERIOD. I THINK THE TEAM WORKED REALLY FAST TO GET THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER, AND THEY DO DESERVE CREDIT FOR THAT. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THE INFORMATION YOU ARE RELEASING IS ACCURATE. IT IS THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE LOCATIONS OF INTEREST AT THE TIME THE PERSON WAS THERE THAT ARE THOSE WHO ARE MOST AT RISK, NOT NECESSARILY THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE YESTERDAY MORNING. WHAT IS THE DANGER THEN OF SAYING EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING, LOOK THE MUSEUM IS A PLACE OF INTEREST, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT THE DETAILS, BUT DO NOT GO IN THERE. IF YOU WORK THERE, DO NOT GO AND UNTIL WE CAN RELEASE THAT INFORMATION. WHAT IS THE DANGER OF DOING THAT? YOU RELEASE INFORMATION AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN VERIFY IT AND ANSWER THE KEY QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE ABOUT THAT ` WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME, DO I NEED TO BE TESTED AND STAY HOME? IF YOU RELEASE INFORMATION BEFORE YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED IT, THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFUSION INCREASES. PEOPLE DID GET INFORMATION OUT OVERNIGHT VERY QUICKLY. THE FIRST LOT WAS RELEASED JUST AFTER 6 AM YESTERDAY. THE LOCATIONS OF INTEREST WERE RELEASED JUST AFTER 6 AM. I THINK THE TEAM DID VERY WELL TO GET THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER IN A VERY SHORT PLACE OF TIME. DID YOU CONSIDER CLOSING THE BORDERS TO NEW SOUTH WALES EARLIER? THERE WERE SOME CASES THAT POPPED UP LAST WEEK. WAS THERE ANY THOUGHT ABOUT CLOSING EARLIER THAN WE DID? WHEN THIS CASE GOT ON A PLANET CAME TO NEW ZEALAND, THERE WERE FOUR CASES IN NEW SOUTH WALES, ALL OF WHICH WERE LINKED AND ALL OF WHICH WERE CLEARLY LINKED TO THE BORDER. IN NEW ZEALAND, WHETHER TO HAPPEN HERE, WE WOULD NOT HAVE AN ALERT LEVEL ESCALATION, WE WOULD NOT HAVE A TRAVEL PAUSE PUT IN PLACE, SO WE DID NOT DO THAT IN NEW SOUTH WALES. THROUGH THE EARLY GROWTH OF THIS PARTICULAR CLUSTER IN NEW SOUTH WALES, ALL OF THE CASES THAT WERE COMING UP WERE LINKED, SO THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE KNOWN CONTACT OF EXISTING CASES, THEY WERE ISOLATING, AND THEREFORE THE RISK CONTINUED TO BE RELATIVELY LOW FROM A NEW ZEALAND PERSPECTIVE. WHAT WE STARTED TO SEE ON TUESDAY WERE UNLINKED CASES, AND THAT IS WHEN WE DECIDED TO PUT THE PAUSE IN PLACE, AS WE NORMALLY WOULD IN NO CIRCUMSTANCES, TO GIVE THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEAMS THE CHANCE TO GET ON TOP OF THAT. THEY ARE DOING THE CONTACT TRACING AT THE MOMENT. THAT IS WHY THERE IS NOT CURRENTLY QUARANTINE FREE TRAVEL BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND NEW SOUTH WALES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. I KNOW YOU HAVE A BUSY MORNING. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. VERY GOOD NEWS THAT THERE IS NO POSITIVE CASES AND OVERNIGHT. WE WILL EXPECT TO SEE RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY'S TESTING. FINGERS CROSSED THAT SAYS THE CASE. TEST RESULTS FROM COVID-19 TESTS IN WELLINGTON ARE EXPECTED BACK TODAY. OUR REPORTER ABBEY WAKEFIELD IS OUTSIDE TE PAPA RIGHT NOW. ABBEY, CAN YOU TELL US WHERE PEOPLE SHOULD GO TO GET TESTED? GOOD MORNING THERE HAS BEEN PLENTY OF TESTING STATIONS ARE SET ACROSS THE REGION. THEY ARE IN THE CBD, UPPER HUTT, LOWER HUTT AND MORE. WE SPOKE TO MINISTER CHRIS HIPKINS A SHORT TIME AGO. HE HAS SAID THERE HAS BEEN NO POSITIVE COMMUNITY CASES OVERNIGHT. WE ARE STILL YET TO FIND OUT WHETHER THIS CASE HAD THE DATA VARIANT. THE ADVICE WE GOT YESTERDAY WAS THAT WE SHOULD WORK ON THE BASIS THAT IT WOULD BE THE DELTA VARIANT AND IS LINKED TO THE CURRENT CLUSTER THAT WILL THEY ARE DEALING WITH. THEY WERE AIMING TO GET IT TO US LATE LAST NIGHT. I AM OUTSIDE ONE OF THOSE LOCATIONS OF INTEREST. THE CASE VISITED HERE ON SATURDAY. A SCHOOL IN WELLINGTON ALSO HAD THEIR SENIOR BALL HERE ON SATURDAY. THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR SCHOOL UNTIL NEXT MONDAY. THE LOCATIONS OF INTEREST HAS RISEN TO 19 LOCATIONS OF INTEREST. THEY INCLUDE RYDGES HOTEL. THE FOUR CLOSE CONTACTS DID RETURN A NEGATIVE TEST RESULTS. THE GENERAL ADVICE IS ANYONE FEELING SYMPTOMATIC IN THE WELLINGTON REGION SHOULD GET A TEST BOOKED. COVID-19 DATA MODELLER SHAUN HENDY BELIEVES THE MOVE TO LEVEL 2 WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR NOW. WE ARE VERY LIKELY DEALING WITH THE DATA VARIANT. WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE. THE LINKS TO THE CLUSTER TO INVOLVE THE DELTA VARIANT. IT IS A TEST FOR THE TRANS-TASMAN COOPERATION. FIJI HAS REPORTED A WORRYING SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES ` 279 NEW CASES OVERNIGHT ` THE HIGHEST DAILY COUNT SO FAR. IT BRINGS THE SEVEN-DAY ROLLING AVERAGE TO 166 CASES A DAY. OFFICIALS SAY THERE'S EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION, WITH SEVERAL CLUSTERS. FOUR DEATHS WERE ALSO REPORTED. MORE THAN 20 RUSSIAN AIRCRAFTS AND TWO SHIPS ARE TARGETING A BRITISH WARSHIP SAILING NEAR CRIMEA. MOSCOW SAYS HMS DEFENDER ENTERED RUSSIAN WATERS. ITS DEFENCE MINISTRY SAYS A JET DROPPED BOMBS AND A PATROL SHIP FIRED WARNING SHOTS. BUT BRITAIN CLAIMS NO WARNING SHOTS WERE FIRED. RUSSIA CLAIMS THE ILLEGALLY ANNEXED PENINSULA AND ITS WATERS ARE ITS TERRITORY. THE UK SAYS IT WAS PASSING THROUGH UKRAINE. AMERICAN POP STAR BRITNEY SPEARS IS EXPECTED TO SPEAK OUT ON HER CONSERVATORSHIP DURING A HEARING LATER THIS MORNING. # OH BABY, BABY THE 39-YEAR-OLD HAS BEEN UNDER HER FATHER'S LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP SINCE 2008, SO SHE HAS NO CONTROL OVER HER PERSONAL OR FINANCIAL AFFAIRS. THE CONSERVATORSHIP WAS ESTABLISHED WHEN SHE WAS HOSPITALISED FOR MENTAL HEALTH REASONS. THE HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR 8.30 NEW ZEALAND TIME. THE BLACKCAPS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS. THE KIWIS CLAIMING AN HISTORIC WIN OVER INDIA IN THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL. PROUD KIWI. WHIPS THAT ONE AWAY, AND HOW APPROPRIATE THAT ROSS TAYLOR AND KANE WILLIAMSON ARE THERE FOR THIS MOMENT FOR THIS TEAM. IT'S A STORY THAT'S AKIN TO DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH, BUT KANE WILLIAMSON AND HIS TEAM NOW WORLD TEST CHAMPIONS. NZ MADE A PERFECT START TO THE SIXTH AND FINAL DAY ` KYLE JAMIESON TOOK THE IMPORTANT WICKET OF VIRAT KOHLI EARLY BEFORE THE KIWI ATTACK ROLLED INDIA FOR 170. NEEDING 139 TO WIN, KANE WILLIAMSON BRINGING UP HIS HALF-CENTURY AND ROSS TAYLOR'S 47 RUNS GUIDING THE BLACKCAPS TO THE HISTORIC EIGHT-WICKET VICTORY AND THE FIRST TEAM EVER TO WIN THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP. I GUESS, TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED OUT THIS JOURNEY, AND TO BE SITTING HERE, I GUESS, THE FIRST WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS IS PRETTY REWARDING. THERE'S A LOT OF HARD WORK THAT GOES IN BEHIND THE SCENES AND OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. AND TO BE SITTING HERE, IT'S A PRETTY SPECIAL MOMENT. AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF KIWI FANS IN THE STANDS TO WITNESS THE VICTORY. WE'VE DESERVED TO WIN THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND WE FINALLY GOT THE RESULT THAT EVERYONE DESERVES. IT'S A REDEMPTION. WE'VE GOT IT, WE'VE EARNT IT, AND WE'RE JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE. THE RUGBY PLAYERS SHOULD STEP UP. LIKE, LOOK AT WILLIAMSON AND ROSS TAYLOR ` THEY STEPPED UP FOR THEIR COUNTRY, LIKE, PLAYED WELL FOR THEIR COUNTRY. KANE AND THE BOYS, THEY PUT THEIR HEART OUT THERE, AND HONESTLY, EVERYTHING TO THEM. ABSOLUTELY` WHAT HE SAID! UNLIKE THE OLYMPICS THEY HAVE NOT BANNED ALCOHOL. EVERYONE IS GOING TO WALK IN THE BACK LIKE ` THAT IS A BRILLIANT IMITATION. I GAVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT INITIALLY. HE IS JUST A BIT TIRED. A BIG DAY FOR THE BOYS. I FELT LIKE HE WAS AN ELATED NEWS READER, THAT GUY. YOU'RE A BLOODIED BEAUTY MATTY. I HAVE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME. MORENA, MATTY. HOW ARE YOU, JOHN? HOW MUCH SLEEP HAVE YOU HAD? I AM KEEPING THAT TO MYSELF. I WATCHED A LOT OF THE GAME. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR THURSDAY FORECAST. IT IS LOVELY AND SUNNY ONCE THE DAY CRANKS INTO GEAR. A BIT FRESH TO START WITH, THOUGH, WITH FROSTS FOR SOME OF YOU THIS MORNING. 15, 16 DEGREES DURING THE DAY FOR EVERYONE. THAT FROSTY, CHILLY START TO THE DAY THROUGH HERE AS WELL, BUT, AGAIN, IT'S NICE ONCE THE SUN'S UP. JUST A BIT OF EVENING CLOUD ROLLING IN, WITH A COUPLE OF SHOWERS TONIGHT AROUND TAUPO AND TOKOROA. 12 DEGREES IN TOKOROA AND ROTORUA, 14 FOR HAMILTON. YOU'RE IN FOR A DECENT THURSDAY FURTHER EAST; JUST A BIT OF CLOUD COVER AT TIMES. ALTHOUGH HAWKE'S BAY HAS CLEAR SKIES ALL DAY. IT'LL BE FROSTY EARLY ON, THOUGH. 13 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON. 15, 16 DEGREES AROUND HAWKE'S BAY AND GISBORNE. YOU'LL SEE A MIX OF FINE SPELLS AND CLOUD COVER MOVING WEST WITH A COUPLE OF SHOWERS THIS MORNING AROUND WELLINGTON AND LEVIN, HITTING EVERYONE ELSE BRIEFLY THIS AFTERNOON. 14 DEGREES IN THE CAPITAL AND PALMERSTON NORTH, 16 FOR NEW PLYMOUTH. BIT MORE OVERCAST ACROSS THE COOK STRAIT, ALTHOUGH YOU SHOULD SEE THE ODD FINE PATCH IN AMONGST THE CLOUD. DO WATCH OUT FOR A COUPLE OF SHOWERS ALONG THE WEST COAST AS WELL. 14 DEGREES IN KAIKOURA, NELSON AND IN WESTPORT. THAT CLOUD COVER STRETCHES OUT EAST AS WELL, AND YOU SHOULD BE SETTING OFF TO SOME FROSTY CONDITIONS IN CANTERBURY, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME SUNSHINE THAT POKES THROUGH. 12 THE EXPECTED HIGH FOR CHRISTCHURCH AND ALEXANDRA, 13 IN ASHBURTON. AND IT'S GREY IN THE LOWER SOUTH WITH RAIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY IN MILFORD SOUND, HEAVY AT TIMES, WHEREAS FOR MOST OTHERS THE WET WEATHER'S NOT EXPECTED TILL TONIGHT. DUNEDIN SHOULD STAY DRY, THOUGH. 13 DEGREES FOR DUNEDIN, INVERCARGILL AND ON STEWART ISLAND. AND THEN HAVING A LOOK AT YOUR FRIDAY ` TOMORROW, THERE'S SOME RAIN IN THE WEST AROUND TARANAKI AND WAIKATO. EVERYWHERE ELSE LOOKS MORE OVERCAST. AND THERE'S RAIN ALONG THE SOUTH ISLAND'S WEST COAST, HEAVY AT TIMES, WITH HIGH CLOUD AND SCATTERED FALLS FOR MOST OTHERS. WE WILL DO BESPOKE WEATHER AFTER 8 O'CLOCK. HAVE YOU GOT ONE? YES AND I'M HEADING SOMEWHERE NEXT WEEK. YOU ARE OFF TO MEET TRULY DELIGHTFUL PEOPLE. AND THESE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO FEED YOU TOO, AREN'T THEY? GOOD FOOD TOO. WHEN I GOT THIS JOB I WAS SURPRISED THAT A PROGRAM CALLED BREAKFAST SUPPLIED SO LITTLE OF IT. IT IS AS TIGHT AS A FISH'S BUM IN HERE. WHAT IS GOING ON TVNZ. PETTY CASH WAS AWESOME WASN'T IT. BACK IN THE DAY. I DON'T KNOW, BEFORE MY TIME. IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT THE PETTY CASH. DID YOU WRITE A RECEIPT AND PUT IT IN A TIN? COMING UP, WHAT THE NEW ALERT LEVEL 2 RESTICTIONS MEAN FOR THOSE IN OUR CAPITAL. IT IS 7:45 WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST. THE SYDNEY COVID-19 CASE WHO VISITED WELLINGTON AT THE WEEKEND IS NOW BACK ACROSS THE DITCH, WHERE, LIKE WELLINGTON, THE CITY IS ALSO FACING NEW RESTRICTIONS. WITH CASE NUMBERS CONTINUING TO SWELL, THERE'S GROWING CONCERN ABOUT CASES WITH NO CLEAR CONNECTION TO THE WIDER CLUSTER. HERE TO GIVE US THE LATEST FROM SYDNEY IS 1 NEWS AUSTRALIA CORRESPONDENT ANDREW MACFARLANE. MORENA, ANDREW. THANKS FOR GETTING UP EARLY FOR US AGAIN THIS WEEK. WHAT IS THE LATEST? MORENA. OVERNIGHT MY PHONE IT WAS PENDING, EMAIL AFTER EMAIL. AT THE MOMENT THERE ARE LOADS OF CLOSE TO CONTACT POINTS. ESPECIALLY PUBLIC TRANSPORT. YESTERDAY WE HAD 16 NEW ONES LISTED. MEANING THAT THIS OUTBREAK IS COMING TO A TOTAL OF ALMOST 40. COULD THIS POTENTIALLY LEAD TO A LOCKDOWN THERE IN SYDNEY? IN TERMS OF HOW PEOPLE ARE FEELING, HOW ARE THEY COPING? THERE IS COVID FATIGUE HERE IN AUSTRALIA. A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED THAT THERE WAS NOT A FULL-FLEDGED LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY. IF THIS WAS HAPPENING IN NEW ZEALAND YOU COULD GUARANTEE THAT WE WERE BE GOING INTO A LEVEL 3 OR FOUR SITUATION. I THINK PEOPLE ARE A BIT OVER IT AT THIS STAGE. MASKS HAD TO COME BACK YESTERDAY AT 4 O'CLOCK. PEOPLE WERE HESITANT TO PUT MASKS ON BEFORE 4 O'CLOCK. YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING COVID FATIGUE. IS IT THE CASE THEN THAT PEOPLE AREN'T LISTENING TO OFFICIAL ADVICE? I HAVE TO SAY YES. I THINK PEOPLE ARE GOING AGAINST SOME OF THE ADVICE. THE CODE SCANNING HERE IS SHODDY AT TIMES. SOME BUSINESSES ARE NEAR MILITANT WHEN YOU WALK IN. THAT IS A PRETTY GOOD SYSTEM. SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING I HAVEN'T USED THAT APP IN WEEK. WHEN THE RESTRICTIONS CAME IN AT FOUR, NEW QR CODE WERE PRINTED OUT AND STUCK ON BUSINESSES. IN TERMS OF OFFICIAL ADVICE WHEN IS THE NEXT UPDATE EXPECTED? WE ARE GETTING ONE AT 11 O'CLOCK AUSTRALIA TIME TODAY, 1 O'CLOCK NEW ZEALAND TIME TODAY. IT WILL BE A CASE UPDATE. IT IS CONFUSING, THEY TWEET AT THE SAME TIME. THEY HAVE AN 8 PM CUT-OFF TIME. YOU HAVE TO BE GOOD AT MATHS. YOU SHOULD GET AN UPDATE AROUND 1 O'CLOCK. ANDREW, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GETTING UP SO EARLY AND GIVING US THIS UPDATE. THERE IS A SENSE IN AUSTRALIA WHERE THEY DON'T LIKE BEING TOLD. COMING UP, WHAT THE NEW ALERT LEVEL 2 RESTICTIONS MEAN FOR THOSE IN OUR CAPITAL. (TINKLY MUSIC) (CRICKETS CHIRP) You haven't been brushing your little one's baby teeth, have you? That can mess up their adult teeth, eh. Pretty easy to avoid, really ` just a little bit of fluoride toothpaste, Open up. Just gentle brushing morning and night ` to protect their smile. Spit! Good man. I'm gonna now. Nigh-nighs. - People fly for all kinds of different reasons, like going to work, and going on leave. You fly for a hug... - Hi, Dad. - ...or a hug-shake? - Hey, that's my bag. - (MAKES ROBOTIC NOISES) - And to see your best friends. - (COOS EXCITEDLY) (DOGS BARK) - Everyone has a reason for flying, and our reason is you. THANK YOU FOR THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY ON THIS BUSY MORNING. AS WE'VE HEARD THIS MORNING, THE WELLINGTON REGION IS IN ALERT LEVEL 2 AS A PRECAUTION AFTER A COVID-POSITIVE CASE FROM SYDNEY VISITED THE REGION AT THE WEEKEND, VISITING SEVERAL FOOD OUTLETS AND TOURIST HOTSPOTS. THEIR CLOSE CONTACTS HAVE SO FAR TESTED NEGATIVE, BUT THOSE IN THE CAPITAL HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS ANYWAY. WELLINGTON MAYOR ANDY FOSTER AND CARTERTON MAYOR GREG LANG JOIN US NOW TO TELL US WHAT ALL THIS MEANS FOR THEIR REGION. MORENA! THANKS MAYERS FOR BEING WITH US. WHAT A BUMMER. A BIG WEEKEND AHEAD IN WELLINGTON TO. HEAPS HAPPENING. WE ALWAYS HAVE BIG WEEKENDS IN WELLINGTON. THE SAD THING ABOUT AN EVENT LIKE THIS IS THE FIRST CASUALTY AS THOSE BIG EVENTS. A FEW DISAPPOINTED PEOPLE. BUT WE HAVE GOT TO KEEP US UP SAY. WHAT IS YOUR SENSE ON HOW WELLINGTONIAN'S ARE RESPONDING TO THIS? A BIT SHOCKED. WE HAVE BEEN IN A GOOD PLACE FOR A LONG TIME. NOW IT IS WELLINGTON. WE HAVE GOT TO RESPOND, AND DO ALL THE RIGHT THINGS. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMPLACENT WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CONTACT TRACING AND GOOD HYGIENE. AS YOU SAID IN YOUR INTRO, THOSE TESTING RESULTS ARE GOING TO TELL US WHETHER WE ARE THROUGH IT OR NOT. THAT BAR WOULD HAVE BEEN CROWDED, I FEEL TREPIDATION ON THOSE RESULTS. WE KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAD A GOOD TIME AND DID ALL THE RIGHT THINGS IN WELLINGTON, BUT THAT MEANS THERE ARE LOTS OF PROSPECTIVE CONTACTS. WE ARE GOING TO GO ACROSS TO CARTERTON. CARTERTON HAD AN EARLY COVID CASE WHICH MARK R CARTERTON DISTRICT HEALTH WORKER HAD IT. OUR COMMUNITY EMBRACE WHAT THEY HAD TO DO. WE ARE A RESILIENCE BUNCH HERE. ARE YOU SEEING PEOPLE SCANNING? NOT AS MUCH AS THEY SHOULD, BUT WE ARE PUSHING THOSE MESSAGE. IT IS A GOOD MESSAGE TO. AND IT IS ONE FOR ALL OF US. HOW BIG IS THIS AREA IN TERMS OF WHERE LEVEL 2 GOES? DO YOU KNOW HOW FAR NORTH LEVEL 2 GOES? IF WE HAVE TO MOVE UP THE LEVELS THERE WOULD BE A ROADBLOCK WAY NORTH OF MASTERTON. BUT WE ARE A FEEDER INTO THE WELLINGTON ECONOMY WE ARE DOWN THERE DURING THE WEEK, IN WELLINGTON PEOPLE ARE UP HERE ON THE WEEKENDS. A LOT OF PEOPLE USE THE TRAIN AND GO BACK AND FORTH. ARE YOU FEELING THE IMPACT OR IS IT BUSINESS AS USUAL WITH A BIT MORE DILIGENCE? R RURAL PRIMARY SECTOR CARRIES ON, OUR BUSINESSES ARE ALL SET UP TO COPE. WE TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE REASONING OF IT, AND ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE. THE RESULTS COMING THROUGH WILL BE POSITIVE, FINGERS CROSSED NOT POSITIVE THAT WAY. I NOTE YOU MEAN, GOOD NEWS. I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO YOU MAY FOSTER. WHAT IS THE MESSAGE FOR WELLINGTON? STAY POSITIVE, BUT DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. IF YOU HAVE BEEN IN ONE OF THE LOCATIONS OF INTEREST, PLEASE GET TESTED. IT IS A CHALLENGE TO GET INTO THOSE PLACES, BUT IT IS REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT. EVERYONE ELSE, DO YOUR CONTACT TRACING. KEEP YOUR HYGIENE GOING. BUSINESSES, KEEP YOUR HYGIENE GOING TOO. THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL INDEED. IT IS FUNNY, I AM ONE OF THOSE DECKS THAT DOESN'T LIKE TO DO WHAT THEY ARE TOLD. BUT I AM DOING EVERYTHING THAT I NEED TO DO. I REALLY NOTICE IT WITH FRIENDS, WHEN I SCAN THEY SAY OH EIGHT IS STILL DOING THAT? YES I AM. I DON'T DO IT FOR THINGS LIKE SCHOOL IN THE MORNING, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I DO THAT EVERY DAY. STAY WITH US. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THE BREAK. - What if we gave you free power... to use however you like whenever you like, just for being a customer? TJ: Have I done enough to wear the jersey? Gotta sweat out that fear because this is bigger than me. I do it for my fans and my family. ION4 hydration. Sweat it out witih Powerade. COVID-19 RESPONSE MINISTER CHRIS HIPKINS SAYS THERE ARE NO NEW CASES OF THE VIRUS HERE OVERNIGHT. OUR REPORTER ABBEY WAKEFIELD IS AT A TESTING STATION IN THE CAPITAL. ABBEY, WHEN WILL WE KNOW WHETHER THE CASE IN WELLINGTON OVER THE WEEKEND IS THE DELTA VARIANT? MORENA. WE JUST HEARD FROM CHRIS HIPKINS, AND HE SAID HE IS STILL WORKING WITH AUSTRALIAN HEALTH AUTHORITIES TO FIND OUT WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY CASE HAD THE DELTA VARIANT, AS GENOME SEQUENCING IS STILL UNDERWAY. THERE HAS BEEN A HUGE DEMAND FOR TESTING IN THE CAPITAL, AS YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME, THIS TESTING STATION IN TARANAKI ST. OBVIOUSLY, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN TESTING YESTERDAY, THERE'LL BE AN EVEN BIGGER INCREASE IN TESTING TODAY. WE'VE GOT EXTRA TESTING CAPACITY COMING ON STREAM TODAY, SO PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT AS LONG. IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE TO STAND UP THOSE EXTRA TESTING SITES, BUT WE'LL BE AIMING TO DO THAT THIS MORNING. AND THEN THAT WILL TELL US A LOT MORE, BUT NO NEW CASES SO FAR. THE DHB WANTS TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS TESTING STATION IS FULLY BOOKED, YOU CAN STILL GO TO YOUR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PROVIDER TO BOOK A TEST, AND OTHER DISTINCT STATIONS HAVE BEEN SET UP ACROSS THE REGION. PORIRUA, JOHNSONVILLEM LOWER HUTT AND UPPER HUTT. WE HAVE HAD NO NEW LOCATIONS OF INTEREST OVERNIGHT, BUT THE ONES INCLUDED YESTERDAY INCLUDE TE PAPA, BUT YOU CAN GO TO THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH WEBSITE TO SEE THE EXACT TIMES AND DATES. THE GENERAL ADVICE ON HEALTH OFFICIALS THAT IF YOU ARE FEELING SICK TODAY, TO CALL HEALTHLINE AND GET A TEST BOOKED. AND WELLINGTON MAYOR ANDY FOSTER SAYS NEW RESTRICTIONS MEAN MANY EVENTS HAVE TO BE CANCELLED THIS WEEKEND. THE SAD THING ABOUT AN EVENT LIKE THIS IS THE CAUSALTIES ARE THOSE BIG EVENTS WHICH PEOPLE HAVE PUT SO MUCH TIME AND ENERGY AND MONEY IN TO ORGANISE. THERE WILL A LOT OF DISAPPOINTED PEOPLE, BUT THE MAIN THING IS, WE'VE GOT TO KEEP OURSELVES SAFE THE BLACKCAPS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS. THE KIWIS CLAIMING AN HISTORIC WIN OVER INDIA IN THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL. PROUD KIWI. WHIPS THAT ONE AWAY, AND HOW APPROPRIATE THAT ROSS TAYLOR AND KANE WILLIAMSON ARE THERE FOR THIS MOMENT FOR THIS TEAM. IT'S A STORY THAT'S AKIN TO DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH, BUT KANE WILLIAMSON AND HIS TEAM NOW WORLD TEST CHAMPIONS. NZ MADE A PERFECT START TO THE SIXTH AND FINAL DAY ` KYLE JAMIESON TOOK THE IMPORTANT WICKET OF VIRAT KOHLI EARLY BEFORE THE KIWI ATTACK ROLLED INDIA FOR 170. NEEDING 139 TO WIN, KANE WILLIAMSON BRINGING UP HIS HALF-CENTURY AND ROSS TAYLOR'S 47 RUNS GUIDING THE BLACKCAPS TO THE HISTORIC EIGHT-WICKET VICTORY AND THE FIRST TEAM EVER TO WIN THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP. EVER! I GUESS, TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED OUT THIS JOURNEY, AND TO BE SITTING HERE, I GUESS, THE FIRST WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS IS PRETTY REWARDING. THERE'S A LOT OF HARD WORK THAT GOES IN BEHIND THE SCENES AND OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. AND TO BE SITTING HERE, IT'S A PRETTY SPECIAL MOMENT. AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF KIWI FANS IN THE STANDS TO WITNESS THE VICTORY. WE'VE DESERVED TO WIN THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND WE FINALLY GOT THE RESULT THAT EVERYONE DESERVES. IT'S A REDEMPTION. WE'VE GOT IT, WE'VE EARNT IT, AND WE'RE JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE. THE RUGBY PLAYERS SHOULD STEP UP. LIKE, LOOK AT WILLIAMSON AND ROSS TAYLOR ` THEY STEPPED UP FOR THEIR COUNTRY, LIKE, PLAYED WELL FOR THEIR COUNTRY. KANE AND THE BOYS, THEY PUT THEIR HEART OUT THERE, AND HONESTLY, EVERYTHING TO THEM. ABSOLUTELY` WHAT HE SAID! (LAUGHS) THAT GUY HAD A TRAFFIC CONE! (ALL LAUGH) BLACK FERNS SEVENS CAPTAIN SARAH HIRINI AND ROWER HAMISH BOND HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS NEW ZEALAND'S FLAG BEARERS FOR THE TOKYO OLYMPICS. HIRINI WON A SILVER MEDAL AT THE 2016 RIO GAMES. SHE LED THE BLACK FERNS SEVENS TO A HALBERG TEAM OF THE YEAR CROWN AND BECAME A MEMBER OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT FOR SERVICES TO RUGBY. MEANWHILE, CO-FLAGBEARER IS NO STRANGER TO AN OLYMPIC GAMES. BOND WON BACK-TO-BACK GOLD MEDALS IN LONDON AND RIO. HE'LL COMPETE IN THE MEN'S EIGHT IN TOKYO. THE MAN. HE WAS IN BEFORE, TALKING TO US. SORRY, I WAS JUST THINKING BACK TO THE FANS. SOMEONE AT HOME WILL KNOW THEM. EMAIL AND FACEBOOK US, LET US KNOW HOW PROUD YOU ARE OF THEM. ALSO, HOW MANY OF YOU ARE LIKE JOHN, STAYED UP FOR MOST OF THE NIGHT. MY BATTERY IS FAIRLY LOW NOW. YOU PEAKED AT 6 O'CLOCK. 52 MINUTES LEFT OF THE PROGRAM. 52 MINUTES LEFT TO NOT SAY ANY OF THE FOLLOWING. MORENA, MATTY. I HAVE THE BROOM. HIT ME WITH IT! A LITTLE JAB ON THE SIDE TO WAKE YOU UP. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR THURSDAY FORECAST. IT IS LOVELY AND SUNNY ONCE THE DAY CRANKS INTO GEAR. A BIT FRESH TO START WITH, THOUGH, WITH FROSTS FOR SOME OF YOU THIS MORNING. 15, 16 DEGREES DURING THE DAY FOR EVERYONE. STRAIGHT OFF THE BAT, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE GOING TODAY. RIGHT ABOUT HERE. JOHN IS STILL AWAKE! IT'S GREAT. LENARE SENT THIS IN. SHE AND HER PARTNER ARE YOUNG DAIRY FARMERS LIVING IN THIS BEAUTIFUL RURAL TOWN CALLED TOMARATA ` JUST 10 MINUTES FROM WELLSFORD. CALLED TOMARATA ` JUST 10 MINUTES FROM WELLSFORD. WHOA. THEY MOVED FROM WHANGAREI BACK TO THE FARM WHERE HER PARTNER GREW UP. THAT'S PRETTY COOL. HIS DAD RAN THE FARM FOR 10 YEARS AND NOW HE'S BACK RUNNING THE FARM HIMSELF WITH HIS FAMILY ` INCLUDING TWO KIDS ` IN TOW. LENARE TOOK THIS PHOTO THIS MORNING, LENARE TOOK THIS PHOTO THIS MORNING, PRETTY CRISP BUT LOVELY DAY DAWNING TODAY. IT WILL BE A BIT FRESH THERE THIS MORNING. THE GREAT BEACHES ABOUT 20 MINUTES FROM THE? PRETTY CLOSE TO THE COAST. WOKE UP TO BRIGHT RED SKIES AND COWS MOOING. BEAUTIFUL AND SPECIAL PLACE TO BE. MAINLY FINE. AREAS OF FROST AND FOG THIS MORNING. LIGHT WINDS. HIGH OF 15 DEGREES. THAT FROSTY, CHILLY START TO THE DAY THROUGH HERE AS WELL, BUT, AGAIN, IT'S NICE ONCE THE SUN'S UP. JUST A BIT OF EVENING CLOUD ROLLING IN, WITH A COUPLE OF SHOWERS TONIGHT AROUND TAUPO AND TOKOROA. 12 DEGREES IN TOKOROA AND ROTORUA, 14 FOR HAMILTON. YOU'RE IN FOR A DECENT THURSDAY FURTHER EAST; JUST A BIT OF CLOUD COVER AT TIMES. ALTHOUGH HAWKE'S BAY HAS CLEAR SKIES ALL DAY. IT'LL BE FROSTY EARLY ON, THOUGH. 13 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON. 15, 16 DEGREES AROUND HAWKE'S BAY AND GISBORNE. YOU'LL SEE A MIX OF FINE SPELLS AND CLOUD COVER MOVING WEST WITH A COUPLE OF SHOWERS THIS MORNING AROUND WELLINGTON AND LEVIN, HITTING EVERYONE ELSE BRIEFLY THIS AFTERNOON. 14 DEGREES IN THE CAPITAL AND PALMERSTON NORTH, 16 FOR NEW PLYMOUTH. BIT MORE OVERCAST ACROSS THE COOK STRAIT, ALTHOUGH YOU SHOULD SEE THE ODD FINE PATCH IN AMONGST THE CLOUD. DO WATCH OUT FOR A COUPLE OF SHOWERS ALONG THE WEST COAST AS WELL. 14 DEGREES IN KAIKOURA, NELSON AND IN WESTPORT. THAT CLOUD COVER STRETCHES OUT EAST AS WELL, AND YOU SHOULD BE SETTING OFF TO SOME FROSTY CONDITIONS IN CANTERBURY, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME SUNSHINE THAT POKES THROUGH. 12 THE EXPECTED HIGH FOR CHRISTCHURCH AND ALEXANDRA, 13 IN ASHBURTON. AND IT'S GREY IN THE LOWER SOUTH WITH RAIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY IN MILFORD SOUND, HEAVY AT TIMES, WHEREAS FOR MOST OTHERS THE WET WEATHER'S NOT EXPECTED TILL TONIGHT. DUNEDIN SHOULD STAY DRY, THOUGH. 13 DEGREES FOR DUNEDIN, INVERCARGILL AND ON STEWART ISLAND. AND THEN HAVING A LOOK AT YOUR FRIDAY ` TOMORROW, THERE'S SOME RAIN IN THE WEST AROUND TARANAKI AND WAIKATO. EVERYWHERE ELSE LOOKS MORE OVERCAST. AND THERE'S RAIN ALONG THE SOUTH ISLAND'S WEST COAST, HEAVY AT TIMES, WITH HIGH CLOUD AND SCATTERED FALLS FOR MOST OTHERS. WE ARE LOOKING AT IT ON THE MAP. TOMARATA, WHAT A LOVELY PART OF THE WORLD. BEAUTIFUL. IT IS 8:12. CYNDI LAUPER. IT'S THE 24th OF JUNE, AND HERE'S WHAT WE'RE CELEBRATING WITH YOU, AOTEAROA. TODAY'S THE DAY REEGAN FROM MASTERTON IS CELEBRATING A VERY BIG BIRTHDAY ` HE'S TURNING 5! IS CELEBRATING A VERY BIG BIRTHDAY ` HE'S TURNING 5! HE LOOKS LIKE HE IS READY. SO READY FOR SCHOOL. WE'RE TOLD REEGAN'S THE COOLEST WEE MAN. HE JUST LOVES ANIMALS AND HANGING OUT AT GRANDMA AND GRANDDAD'S FARM. HE'S THE BEST BIG BROTHER TO LIAM AND EMMA AND ALL THE WHANAU JUST LOVE HIM TO PIECES. HAPPY BIRTHDAY REEGAN, WE HOPE YOU HAVE THE BEST DAY. THAT IS A GREAT HOODIE. AND TODAY'S THE DAY EDIE'S ALSO CELEBRATING HER 33rd BIRTHDAY! WE'RE TOLD SHE'S THE STRONGEST, MOST HARDWORKING MUM. GO YOU, EDIE. THAT IS AMAZING. ALL THE WHANAU ARE SENDING SO MUCH AROHA TODAY. HARI HURITAU. TODAY'S THE DAY THIS VERY GOOD DOG ROSCOE GOOD DOG! I SAW HIM ON THE ADOPT ME SITE. YES, BUT HE IS 10. THAT IS AN ACID FLASHBACK. AND THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME. CELEBRATING DOUBLE DIGITS, HE'S 10 TODAY! HERE HE IS BACK WHEN HIS MUM RUTH FOUND HIM AT THE SPCA, AND HERE HE IS NOW! AND HERE HE IS NOW! ARE YOU MAKING THIS UP, MELISSA? WE'RE TOLD THAT 10 YEARS ON AND 50kg HEAVIER, HE STILL LOVES THE BEACH AND HOGGING THE BED. THAT'S GOOD LIVING. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROSCOE. AND GOOD DOG. JOHN, DID YOU SEE ACID FLASHBACK? I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU THOUGHT THE PHOTO WAS 10 YEARS OLD. TODAY'S THE DAY FRANK IS CELEBRATING HIS 70th BIRTHDAY! THAT IS A STATE-OF-THE-ART MO. WE'RE TOLD FRANK'S A HUGELY INVOLVED MEMBER OF THE METHVEN VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE, AND A HUGE HIT IN THE COMMUNITY FOR HIS INCREDIBLE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS DISPLAY THAT HE CONSTRUCTS EVERY SINGLE YEAR. FRANK, YOUR FOUR KIDS, GRANDSON JACOB, AND ALL YOUR CHOOKS AND CATS ARE WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AND SO ARE WE. BEAUTIFUL. SPEAKING OF VOLUNTEERS, WE ARE CELEBRATING VOLUNTEERS. WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL SHOW WITH VOLUNTEERS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY COMING TO JOIN US. REALLY QUICKLY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MESSAGE TO TARA. HER AND HER MOTHER WATCHED THE SHOW RELIGIOUSLY. I JUST WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN, HOW THE HELL DID YOU THINK THAT WAS THE DOG? ON THE SPCA WEBSITE, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR PUPPIES TO ADOPT, THEY ALL LOOK SIMILAR. THEY ALL LOOK LIKE ROSCOE. VERY SIMILAR. THAT WAS QUITE HEARTWARMING FOR ME. THIS ROSCOE DID, 10 YEARS AGO. BREAKFAST@TVNZ.CO.NZ I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS THERE. WE WENT INTO A PARALLEL DIMENSION. AND USE 'TODAYS THE DAY' IN YOUR SUBJECT LINE. COMING UP, THE RUBBISH-TRAPPING DEVICE THAT IS STOPPING THOUSANDS OF PIECES OF LITTER FROM FLOWING INTO WATERWAYS ACROSS NORTHLAND. ACTUALLY, THIS IS A VERY GOOD THING, AND WE WILL BRING THE FULL FORCE OF IN JUST THREE MONTHS, A STAGGERING 4160 PIECES OF LITTER WAS COLLECTED IN THE NORTHLAND REGION BY AN INNOVATIVE RUBBISH COLLECTING DEVICE ` LITTATRAP. 50 LITTATRAPS HAVE BEEN PLACED IN DRAINS THROUGHOUT THE NORTHLAND REGION IN A MULTI-AGENT EFFORT TO STOP LITTER FROM FLOWING INTO THE OCEAN. AMY MACDONALD AND DR MANUE MARTINEZ ARE LEADING THE CHARGE TO FREE OUR WATERWAYS FROM RUBBISH. THEY JOIN US NOW FROM WHANGAREI. VERY CHILLY. MORENA KORUA. IT IS A BIT BLOODY COLD UP THERE. IT'S FREEZING. WE WILL NOT TAKE TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME. ANYWAY, TELL ME ABOUT THE IDEA OF THE LITTER TRAP. THIS IS ONE OF THE TRAPS THAT WE USE AROUND NORTHLAND. THIS ONE HAS BEEN DESIGNED BY STORMWATER 360, WHICH IS NEW ZEALAND BASED. THEY SET INTO THE CATCHMENT OF THE STORMWATER DRAIN, AND THEN THEY CAPTURE A LOT OF THE LITTER AND LEAVES, ANYTHING THAT IS BIGGER THAN 5 MM. AND THEN YOU CAN LIFT AND ADD IT TO YOUR TRAP. SO FAR, OVER 4000 PIECES, HAVE YOU FOUND ANYTHING UNUSUAL OR STRANGE? NOT REALLY, MAYBE A FEW TOYS, BUT WE DID FIND THE MOST COMMON ITEM IN NEW ZEALAND, ABOUT 31% WERE CIGARETTE BUTTS, ANOTHER 19% WERE FRAGMENTS OF SOFT PLASTICS. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG ISSUE WITH RUBBISH ENDING UP IN OUR OCEANS, THEY CAN TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT UP NORTH? IS A PROBLEM EVERYWHERE, BUT THE ACTUAL REASON THAT THIS PROJECT GOT STARTED WAS THIS RIVER BEHIND US, AND SOME WORK WAS BEING DONE HERE, AND AS PART OF THAT, THOUGH FINDING A LOT OF PLASTIC RUBBISH IN THE RIVER, SO THAT GOT US WONDERING ABOUT WHAT THE SOURCE WAS AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR STORMWATER DRAINS, SO THAT IS KIND OF WHAT GOT US STARTED WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, BUT ON A WHOLE, WE DEFINE WE HAVE GOT A LOT OF THINGS INFLUENCING OUR WATERWAYS, SO THIS IS ONE OF MANY THINGS WE CAN BE DOING. OUR WILDLIFE AND HOW IMPORTANT THESE MEASURES ARE IN PROTECTING OUR WILDLIFE, OBVIOUSLY, THIS CONTRAPTION IS WORKING WONDERS, BUT HOW IMPORTANT ARE THEY TO HAVE? THIS IS A GREAT STUDY, AND THE PURPOSE OF THE TRAPS THAT WE ARE USING HERE IN NORTHLAND IS TO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM, BECAUSE WE CANNOT HAVE A TRAP AND EVERY STORMWATER DRAIN, SO WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE SOURCE OF THE POLLUTION, WHAT PLACES ARE WE FINDING IT IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, WHAT KIND OF PRODUCTS WE SING, THERE WE WERE TO USE THE DATA TO INFORM ACTION, SO IT COULD BE EDUCATION, COULD BE WORKING WITH CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO REGULATE THE PLASTICS BASE IN NEW ZEALAND, AND IT CAN BE UP TO DIVISIONS AS WELL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ROLLERS OF THE PROBLEM. LIKE AMY WAS SAYING, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET THAT DATA. THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. IS YOU ARE SAYING EARLIER, WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND, AND UNFORTUNATELY WHEN WE THROW AWAY SOMETHING, IT DOES NOT GO AWAY, GO SOMEWHERE. AND IT DOES REACH OUR WATERWAYS OR THE OCEAN, IT WILL END UP IN THE WILDLIFE. THE PROBLEM UP HERE ESPECIALLY IS THAT THEY KEEP ON BREAKING DOWN, BECAUSE THE LAST FOR A LONG TIME, IT IS THEY GET INTO SMALLER AND SMALLER PIECES OF PLASTIC, THEY GO INTO SMALLER PLANKTON, SO THAT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO FIND PLASTICS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE FOOD CHAIN, INCLUDING DIFFERENT SPECIES OF FISH, AND SOME OF THOSE ARE COMMERCIAL FITTINGS SPECIES, SO THINK THAT WE EVENTUALLY EAT, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO TRY AND PREVENT PLASTIC GOING INTO OUR ENVIRONMENT. AS YOU SAID EARLIER, OUT THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US. THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU DO, GET OUT OF THE COLD AND INTO THE WARM. AWESOME. AND LOOKS LIKE A BEAUTIFUL MORNING IN NORTHLAND. IT HAS BEEN A PRETTY SPECIAL MORNING IN THE STUDIO. THERE HAS BEEN SOME TREPIDATION ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN WELLINGTON, BUT, GLORIOUS SCENES OUT OF SOUTHAMPTON IN THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND THIS MORNING AS KANE WILLIAMSON LIFTED THE MACE ` THAT'S A HELL OF A TROPHY ` AS WORLD TEST CHAMPIONS. THE BLACKCAPS FINISHED OFF INDIA ON THE FINAL DAY AT THE ROSE BOWL TO CLAIM THE 8-WICKET WIN IN THE FIRST EVER WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL. WE'RE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME IN COACH GARY STEAD. CONGRATULATIONS! HOW ARE YOU? VERY WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IN THE END, AN EIGHT WICKET LEAD OVER AT INDIAN SIDE THAT GOOD IS AN EXTRAORDINARY VICTORY. WE CANNOT OVERSTATE HOW STRONG INDIA ARE AS OPPONENTS. WHEN YOU STARTED TO GET A BIT TIGHT IN THE TUMMY? I THINK EVERYONE GETS A BIT OF TIGHT AND ANXIOUS IN THAT MOMENT, AND IT IS NATURAL, AND IT SHOWS US THE TEAM CARE ABOUT IT, BUT IT IS AMAZING FROM THE PARTNERSHIP, IT WAS TRULY INSPIRATIONAL, I THINK. IT WAS REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL. IT WAS MAGIC. WE TALK ABOUT THOSE TWO MEN, WITH THE BEST PART OF 200 TEST BETWEEN THEM, AVERAGES ON EITHER SIDE OF 50, HOW GREAT, GARY THAT IT WAS THEM? ROSS HAS BEEN AROUND THE LONGEST OUT OF ANYONE WITHIN OUR TEAM HERE, AND IN HIS WORDS, HE HAS BEEN THROUGH SOME PRETTY DARK TIMES AS WELL, SO TO COME THROUGH AND GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS, WE HAD SOME VERY CLOSE BECAUSE OF THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, BUT IN OUR GET THAT MONKEY OFF YOUR BACK AND WENT, IT IS VERY SPECIAL AND WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE GONE ON, BUT ALSO, VERY SPECIAL FOR THE FANS BACK HOME AS WELL, THEY HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING US AND STAYING UP ALL NIGHT TO WATCH US AS WELL. IT WAS A MAGIC OCCASION. IS A FUNNY OLD TEST BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER, BUT IT WAS PLAYED IN GOOD SPIRITS, TO TEAMS WHO WERE GOOD MEN WAS ON THE FIELD AT OFF IT. NEW ZEALAND DESERVED TO WIN THIS GAME, DID THEY? IT IS ALWAYS US TO HEAR THAT, JOHN. WE PLAYED SOME REALLY GOOD CRICKET OVER THE PERIOD, AND WE DID NOT WIN EVERY SESSION, INDIA CERTAINLY FOUGHT BACK. THAT IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THE NUMBER ONE AND TWO RANKED TEAMS IN THE WORLD. IT WAS GREAT TO WATCH, IT WAS GREAT TO BE PART OF/ IT WAS A VERY SPECIAL OCCASION FOR THIS TEAM AND FOR NEW ZEALAND CRICKET. WE WERE PREVIEWING THE GAME ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE DAYS AGO AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WHETHER WE WOULD TAKE IT. THE BOWLERS DO THE JOB, IT WAS A BIT OF A RISK STILL, THE BALL WAS CERTAINLY TURNING A BIT, WE RUN THE RISK OF IT TURNING A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE GUYS WERE SENSATIONAL IN THE WAY THAT THEY KEPT PITCHING UP AND DOING THEIR JOB FOR THE TEAM, AND KYLE JAMIESON REAPED THE REWARDS, BUT HE WAS BEING SUPPORTED BY TRENT AND THE OTHERS DOING THE JOB THEY DID AS WELL. GARY, WE REFLECT ON NEW ZEALAND CRICKET AND WHAT THIS MEANS, FOR A LONG TIME WE COULD NOT EVEN GET GAMES, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, FOR AUSTRALIA AND ENGLAND TO EVEN PLAY US WITH AN ACT OF CONDESCENSION, BUT WE ARE NOW THE BEST TEST CRICKET TEAM IN THE WORLD. IT IS A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT. IF YOU ARE YOUNG, YOU POSSIBLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT BACKGROUND, BUT IT REALLY IS MAGIC TO FIND OURSELVES IN THIS POSITION. IT HAS BEEN YEARS AND YEARS OF HARD WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO GETTING US WHERE WE ARE NOW, AND THAT IS NOT JUST THE PLAYERS HERE, IT IS PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US AS WELL, AND SIT THE CULTURE FOR THE TEAM AS WELL, WE ARE REAPING THE REWARDS, WE HAVE BEEN VERY CONSISTENT OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AS WELL, AND THAT IS FULL CREDIT TO THE GUYS WHO GO IN AND WORK HARD AND DO BETTER EVERY DAY. WHAT WAS IT LIKE, WHEN THAT TROPHY WAS LIFTED? VERY SPECIAL, JOHN. SPECIAL FOR ME, SPECIAL FOR THE TEAM, SPECIAL FOR ALL OF NEW ZEALAND AS WELL. WE ARE VERY VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WENT ON OUT HERE. RICHLY DESERVED. BRILLIANT. HIGH-FIVE FOR YOU, GARY. WHAT I DID THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL WAS THE FACT THAT HE TALKED ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE THEM. PLAYERS THAT WERE IN AND OUT OF THAT TEAM OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT ARE NOT WITH THEM DURING THE SERIES, BUT THEY ALL CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS THAT WIN. SOME OF THE PAST PLAYERS, THE PLAYERS WHO WERE BRILLIANT INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS THAT WERE ALSO COLLECTIVELY STRONG. THEY DREAMT OF THIS. NOW MELISSA WITH THE NEWS. WELLINGTON HAS WOKEN UP TO ITS FIRST DAY IN LEVEL 2 AFTER A SYDNEY MAN TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 AFTER TRAVELLING TO THE CAPITAL OVER THE WEEKEND. OUR REPORTER ABBEY WAKEFIELD IS OUTSIDE A TESTING STATION. ABBEY, WHAT DO WELLINGTONIANS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TESTING TODAY? KIA ORA. THE MAIN HEALTH ADVICE HERE IS THAT IF YOU ARE FEELING SO DRAMATIC, TO PLEASE CALL HEALTH LIGHT AND GET A TEST BOOKED. THE LATEST INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE HAD FROM THE GOVERNMENT IS THAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THIS CASE HAD THE DELTA PERIOD, BUT THERE IS SOME GOOD NEWS, THERE HAVE BEEN NO POSITIVE CASES OVERNIGHT AND NO NEW POSITIVE CASES OVERNIGHT. WE SPOKE TO CHRIS HIPKINS A SHORT TIME AGO. THE ADVICE WE GOT YESTERDAY WAS THAT WE SHOULD WORK ON THE BASIS THAT IT WOULD BE THE DELTA PERIOD, AND IS LINKED TO THE CURRENT CLUSTER THAT THEY ARE DEALING WITH, BUT WE WILL BE TO GET CONFIRMATION OF THAT OR OTHERWISE WHEN WE GET THE WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING, AS OF ABOUT 20 MINUTES AGO, IT HAD NOT ARRIVED IN NEW ZEALAND YET. THIS TESTING SEATED BEHIND ME ON TARANAKI STREET IS FULLY BOOKED TODAY, BUT DHB'S WANT TO REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT YOU CAN GO TO YOUR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO GET A TEST BOOKED THROUGH THEM, AND THERE ARE OTHER TESTING STATIONS SET UP ACROSS THE REGION, THERE IS ALSO A POP-UP STATION SET UP IN HAITAITAI. THERE ARE 19 LOCATIONS OF INTEREST, INCLUDING TE PAPA. IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY BUSY DAY FOR THE STUFF BEHIND ME AND FOR ALL OF THE WELLINGTONIAN'S WERE GOING INTO GET A TEST TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE UPDATE. FIJI HAS REPORTED A WORRYING SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES. 279 NEW CASES OVERNIGHT ` THE HIGHEST DAILY COUNT SO FAR. IT BRINGS THE SEVEN-DAY ROLLING AVERAGE TO 166 CASES A DAY. OFFICIALS SAY THERE'S EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION, WITH SEVERAL CLUSTERS. FOUR DEATHS WERE ALSO REPORTED. MORE THAN 20 RUSSIAN AIRCRAFTS AND TWO SHIPS ARE TARGETING A BRITISH WARSHIP SAILING NEAR CRIMEA. MOSCOW SAYS HMS DEFENDER ENTERED RUSSIAN WATERS. ITS DEFENCE MINISTRY SAYS A JET DROPPED BOMBS AND A PATROL SHIP FIRED WARNING SHOTS. BUT BRITAIN CLAIMS NO WARNING SHOTS WERE FIRED. RUSSIA CLAIMS THE ILLEGALLY-ANNEXED PENINSULA AND ITS WATERS ARE ITS TERRITORY. THE UK SAYS IT WAS PASSING THROUGH UKRAINE. THE BIGGEST PRO-DEMOCRACY PAPER IN HONG KONG'S ANNOUNCED ITS CLOSURE, IN A HUGE BLOW TO MEDIA FREEDOM IN THE CITY. APPLE DAILY'S OFFICES WERE RAIDED BY POLICE LAST WEEK, AMIDST ALLEGATIONS IT HAD BREACHED A CONTROVERSIAL NATIONAL SECURITY LAW. OFFICERS ARRESTED SIX EXECUTIVES, AND FROZE ASSESTS LINKED TO THE COMPANY. THE PAPER HAD BEEN CRITICAL OF HONG KONG AND CHINESE LEADERSHIP. ACTOR HARRISON FORD HAS INJURED HIMSELF WHILE REHEARSING FOR A FIGHT SCENE FOR THE NEW INDIANA JONES MOVIE. THE 78-YEAR-OLD HURT HIS SHOULDER, PROMPTING THE FILMING RESCHEDULE IN LONDON TO BE REJIGGED. THE FILM'S RELEASE DATE HAS ALREADY BEEN POSTPONED SEVERAL TIMES. IT'S CURRENTLY SET DOWN FOR JULY NEXT YEAR. THE BLACKCAPS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS. THE KIWIS CLAIMING AN HISTORIC WIN OVER INDIA IN THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL. PROUD KIWI. WHIPS THAT ONE AWAY, AND HOW APPROPRIATE THAT ROSS TAYLOR AND KANE WILLIAMSON ARE THERE FOR THIS MOMENT FOR THIS TEAM. IT'S A STORY THAT'S AKIN TO DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH, BUT KANE WILLIAMSON AND HIS TEAM NOW WORLD TEST CHAMPIONS NEW ZEALAND MADE A PERFECT START TO THE SIXTH AND FINAL DAY. KYLE JAMIESON TOOK THE IMPORTANT WICKET OF VIRAT KOHLI EARLY BEFORE THE KIWI ATTACK ROLLED INDIA FOR 170. NEEDING 139 TO WIN, KANE WILLIAMSON BRINGING UP HIS HALF-CENTURY, AND ROSS TAYLOR'S 47 RUNS GUIDING THE BLACKCAPS TO THE HISTORIC 8 WICKET VICTORY, AND THE FIRST TEAM EVER TO WIN THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP. TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED OUT THIS JOURNEY, AND TO BE SITTING HERE, I GUESS THE FIRST WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS IS PRETTY REWARDING. THERE'S A LOT OF HARD WORK THAT GOES IN BEHIND THE SCENES AND OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. SO TO BE SITTING HERE IS A PRETTY SPECIAL MOMENT. THE BLACKCAPS ARE THE INAUGURAL WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS, BUT DID THE PRIME MINISTER GET HER HANDS ON THE TROPHY FIRST? ONE EAGLE-EYED TWITTER USER NOTICED THERE WERE UNCANNY PARALLELS BETWEEN WHAT THE NEWLY-REVEALED JACINDA ARDERN BACKBENCHERS PUB PUPPET IS HOLDING, AND THE TROPHY HOISTED UP BY KANE WILLIAMSON THIS MORNING. PUPPET OR PROPHET? THAT IS A STRETCH. WHAT IS A MACE? IS THAT WHAT IT'S CALLED? I DON'T KNOW. IT IS AN ODD LOOKING THING. THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE ARE CALLING IT. WE CAN EXCUSE HIM FOR THAT TODAY. YOU ARE LOOKING SHARP, THOUGH. I'VE GOT AN OLD FAVOURITE OUT TODAY. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR THURSDAY FORECAST. IT IS LOVELY AND SUNNY ONCE THE DAY CRANKS INTO GEAR. A BIT FRESH TO START WITH, THOUGH, WITH FROSTS FOR SOME OF YOU THIS MORNING. 15, 16 DEGREES DURING THE DAY FOR EVERYONE. THAT FROSTY, CHILLY START TO THE DAY THROUGH HERE AS WELL, BUT, AGAIN, IT'S NICE ONCE THE SUN'S UP. JUST A BIT OF EVENING CLOUD ROLLING IN, WITH A COUPLE OF SHOWERS TONIGHT AROUND TAUPO AND TOKOROA. 12 DEGREES IN TOKOROA AND ROTORUA, 14 FOR HAMILTON. YOU'RE IN FOR A DECENT THURSDAY FURTHER EAST; JUST A BIT OF CLOUD COVER AT TIMES. ALTHOUGH HAWKE'S BAY HAS CLEAR SKIES ALL DAY. IT'LL BE FROSTY EARLY ON, THOUGH. 13 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON. 15, 16 DEGREES AROUND HAWKE'S BAY AND GISBORNE. YOU'LL SEE A MIX OF FINE SPELLS AND CLOUD COVER MOVING WEST WITH A COUPLE OF SHOWERS THIS MORNING AROUND WELLINGTON AND LEVIN, HITTING EVERYONE ELSE BRIEFLY THIS AFTERNOON. 14 DEGREES IN THE CAPITAL AND PALMERSTON NORTH, 16 FOR NEW PLYMOUTH. BIT MORE OVERCAST ACROSS THE COOK STRAIT, ALTHOUGH YOU SHOULD SEE THE ODD FINE PATCH IN AMONGST THE CLOUD. DO WATCH OUT FOR A COUPLE OF SHOWERS ALONG THE WEST COAST AS WELL. 14 DEGREES IN KAIKOURA, NELSON AND IN WESTPORT. THAT CLOUD COVER STRETCHES OUT EAST AS WELL, AND YOU SHOULD BE SETTING OFF TO SOME FROSTY CONDITIONS IN CANTERBURY, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME SUNSHINE THAT POKES THROUGH. 12 THE EXPECTED HIGH FOR CHRISTCHURCH AND ALEXANDRA, 13 IN ASHBURTON. AND IT'S GREY IN THE LOWER SOUTH WITH RAIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY IN MILFORD SOUND, HEAVY AT TIMES, WHEREAS FOR MOST OTHERS THE WET WEATHER'S NOT EXPECTED TILL TONIGHT. DUNEDIN SHOULD STAY DRY, THOUGH. 13 DEGREES FOR DUNEDIN, INVERCARGILL AND ON STEWART ISLAND. AND THEN HAVING A LOOK AT YOUR FRIDAY ` TOMORROW, THERE'S SOME RAIN IN THE WEST AROUND TARANAKI AND WAIKATO. EVERYWHERE ELSE LOOKS MORE OVERCAST. AND THERE'S RAIN ALONG THE SOUTH ISLAND'S WEST COAST, HEAVY AT TIMES, WITH HIGH CLOUD AND SCATTERED FALLS FOR MOST OTHERS. IT IS YOUR WEATHER. THANK YOU, WE APPRECIATE IT. COMING UP ` WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL PERFORMANCE FROM SOME AWESOME RANGATAHI. THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE TO OPELOGE AH SAM ON THE SHOW, A TEACHER FROM KAITAIA, WAS BACK IN MARCH WHEN HE WAS WITH UP A HILL WITH A COUPLE HUNDRED OF HIS STUDENTS AFTER WE HAD A TSUNAMI THREAT. OPELOGE IS BACK WITH US, BUT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT TODAY. HE'S IN STUDIO WITH HIS AWESOME CHOIR FROM KAITAIA ABUNDANT LIFE SCHOOL. THEY'RE ALL UP IN TAMAKI MAKAURAU TO PERFORM IN THE BIG SING, A NATIONAL GROUP-SINGING COMPETITION FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. THEY'RE THE ONLY CHOIR FROM THE FAR NORTH PARTICIPATING IN THE BIG SING, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. WHAT IS THIS ON THE TABLE IN FRONT OF US? IT IS FOR THE BEST PERFORMANCE. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A REALLY SPECIAL PERFORMANCE FROM THEM LATER, ON BUT FIRST WE HAVE OPELOGE WITH US AND TWO OF HIS STUDENTS ` KEES CHERRINGTON AND JAHZARA TAKIMOANA. YOU PERFORMED LAST NIGHT HOW WAS THAT? IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE. GOOD TO GET OUT OF TOWN AND GET MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN. ONE OF THE ONLY BIG PERFORMANCES THAT WE GOT TO DO BEFORE COMING HERE WERE ONES IN FRONT OF OUR COMMUNITY WHICH WAS ROUGHLY 200 PEOPLE. HOW MANY LAST NIGHT? COUPLE THOUSAND. HOW DID IT FEEL? DID IT FEEL GOOD? IT'S FELT GOOD. THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF PRESSURE, AFTER WE DID THE MORNING SHOW IT WAS A LOT EASIER TO DO THE NIGHT SHOW. AS ACQUIRE IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT STAGE WE'RE ON. DOES THAT COME FROM WORKING HARD TOGETHER AND KNOWING YOUR GOOD? IT IS BECAUSE WE ARE ALSO FAMILIAR WITH EACH OTHER. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE EACH OTHER'S BACKS AND THAT IT IS ALL GOOD FROM THEIR. IT IS A NATURAL SPACE TO BE IN TO BE PERFORMING. YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THAT SPACE. YOU STARTED THIS BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE A GROUP. IT WAS BACK IN MARCH, I DECIDED TO ENTER THE CHOIR BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ONE. I THOUGHT WITH THE COVID-19 THING WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR AND THOUGHT I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE A CRACK AT IT. IF WE HAD A CHANCE TO COMPETE THEN GREAT. I STARTED GATHERING THE KIDS AND OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS WE STARTED TO REHEARSE AND PULLING IT TOGETHER. WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE? THEY LAUGHED AND REMINDED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A SCHOOL CHOIR. I SAID IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM. YOU WERE RIGHT. AND YOU, NOT TO BE MEAN, BUT DO YOU HAVE A SENSE THAT THE MUSIC MIGHT PLAY A PART IN YOUR FUTURE? I WOULD HOPE SO. YOU PLAY BASS? ARE YOU A GOOD BASS PLAYER? I HOPE SO. HE'S GOT A GOOD TEACHER. WHAT ABOUT YOU? I THINK THROUGH HIS TEACHING I HAVE GROWN MY CONFIDENCE SO MUCH. YOU SHINE WITH CONFIDENCE. HAVE YOU FOUND THAT THE MUSIC? YES, DEFINITELY. WHEN IT CAME TO THE SCHOOL I COULDN'T SEE A SPEECH IN FRONT OF MY CLASS AND NOW I AM DOING CONCERTS. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. WE HAVE TO GET GOING, BECAUSE WE WANT TO HEAR YOU GUYS SING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GO YOU! STAY WITH US ` WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THE BREAK. WELCOME BACK IN. WE HAVE GOT A VERY SPECIAL PERFORMANCE. THE CHOIR FROM KAITAIA ABUNDANT LIFE SCHOOL. # AH # OOH # AH # OOH # AH # OOH # AH # OOH # COME FILL MY LIFE FROM THE INSIDE (ALL SING) # CAUSE ALL I WANT # IS FOR YOU # FOR YOU TO BE GLORIFIED # FOR YOU TO BE LIFTED HIGH # CAUSE ALL I WANT # IS FOR YOU # FOR YOU TO BE GLORIFIED # FOR YOU TO BE LIFTED HIGH # BE GLORIFIED # GLORIFY YOUR NAME # GLORIFY # GLORIFY # GLORIFY # AH # GLORIFY YOUR NAME # AH # OOH # GLORIFY # AH # OOH # AH (ALL HARMONISE)