IT'S THE TOPIC DE JOUR, AND IT'S ONLY JUST BEGINNING. WE'RE TALKING OLYMPIC FEVER, SWEEPING THE WORLD AND RIGHT HERE AT HOME. TWO GOLDS, FIVE MEDALS IN TOTAL SO FAR, BUT WE'RE IN LINE FOR A BIG JUMP UP IN THAT TALLY IN THE COMING DAYS. ON THE LINE, IT'S GOING TO BE THE KIWIS. THE KIWIS ARE GOING TO COME IN SECOND. ALL THE COLOURS OF THE MEDAL RAINBOW HAVE JUST SHONE BRIGHT FOR OUR ATHLETES IN PARIS. REVEALING MORE ABOUT JUST HOW GREAT THESE GREAT NEW ZEALANDERS ARE. YOU GUYS ARE THE FIRST MUMS TO WIN IN A BOAT LIKE THIS. TO FINALLY BE HERE, IT STILL HASN'T QUITE SUNK IN. THE MOMENTS THAT BRING ALL THE FEELS JUST KEEP ROLLING IN. FROM THE PERSONAL SACRIFICE... HE SACRIFICED HIS RACE, CAME BACK, HELPS OUT THIS OLD BOY. ...THE GOOSEBUMPS... (NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYS) (PERFORM HAKA) ...AND THE LOLS. YOU KNOW, GAVE HIM A TAP ON THE BUM AND SAID, 'YOU'RE AN EFFING LEGEND.' HE DIDN'T GET A MEDAL HIMSELF. WHAT DOES HE DESERVE FOR WHAT HE DID FOR YOU? HE DESERVES THE KEYS TO NEW ZEALAND, MATE. ALL OF THIS HAS MEANT THAT WE NOW SIT 12TH ON THE MEDAL TABLE. TEAM USA CONTINUES TO LEAD THE OVERALL MEDAL COUNT. AND WHILE THE U.S. HAS BEEN CALLED OUT FOR WORKING THE MEDAL SYSTEM IN THEIR FAVOUR BY CALCULATING TOTAL MEDALS RATHER THAN JUST GOLDS. THE U.S. THINK THEY'RE ON TOP OF THE OLYMPIC MEDAL TALLY, AND I DON'T WANT TO BE THE ONE TO TELL THEM THEY'RE NOT. (EAGLE CALLS) WE, OF COURSE, WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT IF YOU WERE TO TAKE IT ON PER CAPITA, WELL, WE'D JUMP UP TO SEVENTH. GO NEW ZEALAND! AND WITH THE LIKES OF EMMA TWIGG, LISA CARRINGTON AND AARON GATE STILL TO COME, IMAGINE HOW WE'LL FARE AFTER THAT. WELL, JOINING US NOW FROM PARIS IS OUR CHEF DE MISSION, NIGEL AVERY. THANKS SO MUCH FOR GETTING UP EARLY FOR US. NIGEL, CHEF DE MISSION SURELY IS JUST A FANCY NAME FOR CAMP DAD. HOW DO YOU KEEP EVERYONE IN CHECK? ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, PATROLLING THE HALLWAYS AT NIGHT, TELLING THEM TO GO TO BED AND STOP WHISPERING? NO, NOT LIKE THAT. WE'VE GOT A GREAT TEAM CULTURE, AND THAT'S ALL PRETTY MUCH DIALLED IN. THEY RESPECT EACH OTHER, MAKE SURE THEY ARE QUIET AND ALL THAT. SO NOTHING TO DO IN THAT REGARD. AND ESSENTIALLY THEIR TEAM MANAGEMENT ARE THERE FOR THAT, TO HELP WITH THAT AS WELL. NIGEL, WHAT A WEEK IT'S BEEN SO FAR. WHAT ARE SPIRITS LIKE THERE? YEAH, THEY'RE PRETTY GOOD. I MEAN, THEY WERE GOOD BEFORE THAT ANYWAY, RIGHT? BUT YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN` ON THE WATER IN THE ROWING IN THE SPACE OF AN HOUR, GETTING THE FULL SET OF MEDALS ` GOLD, SILVER, BRONZE ` WAS PRETTY INCREDIBLE. AND LOOK, IT DOES LIFT THE SPIRITS. I WAS ACTUALLY DOWN IN MARSEILLES, SO I WASN'T HERE TO ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY SEE IT. I DIDN'T GET HOME UNTIL LATE LAST NIGHT, BUT, YEAH, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO WIN SOME MEDALS. BUT WE'RE SUPER PROUD OF ALL OUR ATHLETES AND THE WAY THEY'RE PERFORMING. AND NIGEL, OUR OLYMPIANS SEEM TO BE SUCH GOOD SPORTS. YOU KNOW, THEIR IMAGE OF HAYDEN WILDE WITH HIS ARM AROUND THE OTHER GOLD MEDALLIST. SUCH A SPECIAL MOMENT. THEY MUST BE GREAT TO WORK WITH. WELL, THEY ARE GREAT TO WORK WITH. IT'S AN INCREDIBLE GROUP OF HUMAN BEINGS. THEY REALLY ARE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST UNDER` JUST OVER 200 ATHLETES THAT WILL COMPETE FOR US DURING THESE, YOU KNOW, 16 OR SO DAYS. AND WE SHOULD ALL BE SO, SO PROUD OF THEM. THEY'RE JUST GREAT PEOPLE. THEY'RE CLEARLY VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. YOU JUST GOT TO REMEMBER THAT THERE'S 10,500 OTHER ATHLETES WHO ARE GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO AS WELL. SO WE KNOW THEY ALL CAN'T STAND ON THE PODIUM. BUT AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'RE SUPER PROUD OF JUST THE WAY THEY'RE PERFORMING AND BEHAVING. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY ISSUES? THE DELAYED TRIATHLON WE ALL HEARD ABOUT. ANY OTHER DRAMAS, NIGEL, GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES THAT YOU'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH? ANY REPORTS OF SICKNESS FROM THAT SWIM? UH, NO, NOT AT ALL. I WOULDN'T EXPECT YOU TO SEE IT THIS EARLY, I GUESS. THE DOCTORS WILL BE MONITORING THEM IF THEY DO SHOW SIGNS OF ILLNESS. AND WE HOPE THEY DON'T, BECAUSE THE RELAY IS DUE TO COME UP. ALTHOUGH WE HAD QUITE A SIGNIFICANT STORM HERE LAST NIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT WATER IS FLOWING INTO THE SEINE, AND THAT DOES CAUSE THAT MICROBIAL ISSUES THAT THE WORLD TRIATHLON AND THE IRC AND ORGANISING COMMITTEE HAVE TO HAVE TO TRY AND BALANCE THAT WITH ACTUALLY GETTING OUT ON THE COURSE. SO, NIGEL, TAKE US FORWARD. WHAT DO WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE COMING DAYS? WELL, THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH, REALLY, ISN'T THERE? BUT OBVIOUSLY THE STADE DE FRANCE, THE TRACK AND FIELD KICKS OFF TODAY WITH SOME PRELIMINARY THINGS. SO, YOU KNOW, TOM AND JACKO ON THE SHOT. ZOE IN THE HUNDRED. THE TRACK CYCLING IS HERE TO START. THAT'S GOING TO BE EXCITING. AND CANOE SPRINT. PLUS WE'VE ALSO GOT, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE ROWERS ON THE WATER. SO THERE'S A FAIR BIT TO COME. SO, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY PLENTY OF BLEARY EYES IN NEW ZEALAND AS WELL, TRYING TO FOLLOW ALL THIS STUFF, WHICH IS GREAT, AND WE THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE SUPPORT. IT SOUNDS LIKE OUR WEEKEND SORTED. THANKS SO MUCH, NIGEL, FOR YOUR TIME, AND WISH THE TEAM ALL THE BEST FROM US I WILL DO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GUYS. HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. CAPTIONS BY KATE HARRIS, TUI TIPENE AND LELE SIMEON. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024. ALLI KENNEDY IS A YOUNG CHRISTCHURCH WOMAN WITH DREAMS OF INVESTING IN THE SHAREMARKET. PROBLEM IS, SHE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT IT, AND HER RESEARCH SHOWS SHE'S NOT ALONE. SO SHE'S TURNING THAT LACK OF KNOWLEDGE INTO A BOARD GAME, SHARENANIGANS, WHERE ALL AGES CAN LEARN ABOUT INVESTING. ('80S TECHNO MUSIC) ALLI KENNEDY IS BECOMING ADEPT AT SETTING UP AND PACKING AWAY. ALL THE PIECES ARE PRECIOUS. THIS IS FIRST EDITION, THE ONLY EDITION, OF SHARENANIGANS IN EXISTENCE. IT'S A BOARD GAME ALLI DREAMED UP WITH HOPES OF HITTING THE MARKET THIS XMAS. IT'S COLOURFUL, AND IT'S COMPETITIVE, AS PLAYERS WORK TO BUILD SHARE PORTFOLIOS ` SOMETHING ALLI HERSELF WANTED TO DO BUT DIDN'T KNOW HOW. WITH A ROLL OF THE DICE SHE WANTS TO TEACH NOVICE NEW ZEALAND INVESTORS YOUNG AND OLD HOW TO PLAY THE SHAREMARKET, HOW TO BUILD WEALTH OUTSIDE OF THE PROPERTY GAME. ONLY THING IS TO GET THIS GAME FOR WOULD-BE INVESTORS TO MARKET, SHE NEEDS INVESTORS OF HER OWN TO COME ON BOARD. SHARENANIGANS CREATOR ALLI KENNEDY JOINS US FROM CHRISTCHURCH. ALLI, WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE GAME? AIM OF THE GAME IS TO CHALLENGE YOUR PLAYERS... IS TO CHALLENGE THE PLAYERS TO BECOME THE WEALTHIEST AT THE TABLE. YOU DO THAT BY BUILDING YOUR PORTFOLIO OF SHARES, BUT ALSO THERE'S SOME TWISTS AND TURNS. THE MARKET PRICES ARE ALWAYS CHANGING, AND IT'S REALLY JUST ABOUT GOING AROUND THE BOARD AND BUILDING YOUR PORTFOLIO AS BEST AS YOU CAN. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE ACTUAL PURPOSE OF SHARENANIGANS, OUR AIM IS TO SPARK CONVERSATION AND CURIOSITY IN MORE HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS NEW ZEALAND. ALLI, WE ALL LOVE A GOOD BOARD GAME, BUT WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE YOUR OWN? SO IT ACTUALLY COMES FROM A REALLY PERSONAL STANDPOINT FOR ME. DIDN'T GET TAUGHT ABOUT FINANCES GROWING UP. FOR ME, THE CONVERSATION DIDN'T COME UP UNTIL MY DAD GOT MADE REDUNDANT, AND HE WAS A SOLO FATHER, AND IT KIND OF OPENED THIS DOOR FOR A CONVERSATION ABOUT PREPARING YOURSELF FINANCIALLY FOR THE FUTURE. AND THEN WHEN I STARTED TO TALK TO PEOPLE AROUND ME, I REALISED IT'S REALLY COMMON THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, BY THE TIME THEY HEAR ABOUT WHAT INVESTING IN SHARES IS, THEY'VE ALREADY CREATED THESE PERCEIVED BARRIERS OF WHAT IT TAKES TO INVEST AND WHO YOU HAVE TO BE. IT'S ABOUT EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH THE CHOICE OF` WE'RE SO PROPERTY FOCUSED, BUT THERE'S ALSO THIS OPTION OF INVESTING IN SHARES. WOW, ALLI, LOTS OF THOUGHT'S GONE INTO THIS. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON SHARENANIGANS? YES, A LOT OF TIME NOW. IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS OF TRIALLING DIFFERENT GAMES, WORKING OUT THE GAMEPLAY AND THEN ALSO MAKING IT LOOK COOL ENOUGH TO PUT ON THE SHELVES AND TO SELL. SO HOW DO YOU TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND GET YOUR GAME TO MARKET? SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AT NOW. WE HAVE GOT EVERYTHING READY IN PLACE AFTER TWO YEARS OF WORK, BUT NOW WE JUST NEED THAT FUNDING TO CLICK GO ON THE MANUFACTURING AND TO GET THIS INTO THE HANDS OF KIWIS. SO WE'VE JUST LAUNCHED A PLEDGE ME CAMPAIGN. WE'VE GOT ONE WEEK TO GO AND IN THAT PLEDGE ME, PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO PRE-ORDER THE GAME, BUT THERE'S ALSO A RANGE OF OTHER TIERS THAT YOU CAN PURCHASE. AND BASICALLY EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR GOES TOWARDS GETTING THE GAME MANUFACTURED AND TO NEW ZEALAND. SO THAT'S WHAT WE NEED HELP WITH. WE ARE ALMOST THERE. WE HAVE ABOUT $15,000 TO GO WITH ONE WEEK LEFT, AND NOW'S THAT FINAL PUSH TO REALLY GET ALL THE SUPPORT WE CAN TO HIT OUR GOAL. WITH PLEDGE ME, IT IS ALL OR NOTHING. SO WE EITHER HIT OUR $40,000 GOAL AND CAN MANUFACTURE AND MAKE SHARENANIGANS A REALITY, OR WE DON'T HIT THE GOAL. NO MONEY LEAVES ANYONE'S ACCOUNT, BUT WE DON'T GET ANY OF THAT MONEY, AND IT MAKES IT THEN HARD TO REALLY BRING THIS VISION TO LIFE. WITH ALL THE KNOWLEDGE YOU'VE GAINED, ALLI, I HAVE TO ASK ` HAVE YOU NOW BOUGHT SOME SHARES? I HAVE, YES, YES. IT WAS KIND OF THIS JOURNEY FOR ME OF STARTING NOT REALLY KNOWING MUCH, WORKING WITH SOME AMAZING PEOPLE, LUCKILY, TO GET THE KNOWLEDGE BEHIND THE GAME. BUT IT ALSO DEFINITELY HELPED WITH MY OWN SHARE JOURNEY OR INVESTING JOURNEY. ALLI, THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. ALL THE BEST. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. E WHAI AKE NEI, COMING UP ON SEVEN SHARP ` SIGN LANGUAGE MEETS CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY. HOW A KIWI START-UP AND CINEMATIC MAGIC ARE BRINGING AWARD-WINNING DIGITAL HUMANS TO LIFE. NAU MAI, HOKI MAI. WELCOME BACK. NICE TO HAVE YOU WITH US. SIGN LANGUAGE IS ONE OF THREE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES IN NEW ZEALAND, YET THE DEAF COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO FACE SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS. BUT A HOME-GROWN TECH STARTUP IS ON A MISSION TO ELIMINATE THESE OBSTACLES. TE RAUHIRINGA BROWN CAUGHT UP WITH THE AWARD-WINNING TEAM BEHIND KARA TECHNOLOGIES. (CHILL MUSIC) I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING, AND NO, THIS IS NOT A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT THE NEXT AVATAR MOVIE. THIS IS INNOVATION IN MOTION. MEET GRACE, A SIGN LANGUAGE EXPERT AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER HERE AT KARA TECHNOLOGIES. GRACE AND HER TWO CHILDREN ARE ALL PROFOUNDLY DEAF. SHE HAS AN IMPLANT, A DEVICE WHICH STIMULATES SOUND IN ONE EAR. INTERPRETER: SO WHEN I COME TO KARA, MY TWO CHILDREN ARE ON MY MIND AND THE WORK THAT I DO. HOW DO I IMPROVE THE WORLD FOR THEM AND GIVE THEM ACCESS THAT I DIDN'T HAVE? HOW DO I REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS THAT I FACED? WITH THE HELP OF GRACE, KARA IS ON A MISSION TO BUILD A MORE ACCESSIBLE GLOBAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR THE DEAF COMMUNITY BY HARNESSING THE POWER OF MOTION CAPTURE FUELLED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. WE WANT SIGN LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY. FOR EVERYTHING. WHERE OUR TECHNOLOGY ACTUALLY IS REALLY GOOD AT, IS GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND DOING IT IS GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND DOING IT SUPER, SUPER FAST. KARA TRANSLATES DIFFERENT MATERIALS LIKE BOOKS, AUDIO OR VIDEO INTO SIGN LANGUAGE BY USING AI AND HYPER-REALISTIC AVATARS. WE HAVE QUITE A FEW VALUES, BUT ONE OF OUR TOP VALUES IS THAT WE WILL NEVER REPLACE LIVE INTERPRETERS. HUMAN INTERPRETERS ARE SO VALUABLE. THE DEAF COMMUNITY NEED THESE INTERPRETERS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A LIMITED NUMBER OF INTERPRETERS. SO A LIMITED RESOURCE, AND THERE'S EXPENSE. SOMETIMES IN CERTAIN REGIONS, YOU CAN'T FIND INTERPRETERS, AND SO THAT SHORTAGE IS DIFFICULT. SO IF WE CAN GIVE GENERIC INFORMATION, WE CAN THEN` OUR AVATARS CAN GIVE THE GENERIC INFORMATION, THEN WE FREE UP THOSE INTERPRETERS TO DO OTHER WORK THAT'S REALLY NECESSARY. AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, FACE-TO-FACE DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS, IN COURT, INTERVIEWS FOR EMPLOYMENT. WHERE THERE'S THAT DIALOGUE, THAT TWO-WAY DIALOGUE, THAT IS WHERE LIVE INTERPRETERS ARE BEST SUITED, AND WE CAN THEN COVER THINGS THAT THEY CAN'T COVER. AND NOW THE INNOVATION IS BEING RECOGNISED. THE KIWI TECH COMPANY WON BEST HIGH TECH SOLUTION FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD AT THIS YEAR'S HIGH TECH AWARDS. YOU KNOW, I RESEARCHED ALL THE HIGH TECH AWARDS AND THERE WERE NO DEAF PEOPLE EVER TO HAVE ACCEPTED THAT IN THE HISTORY OF THE AWARDS. THE IDEA TO DEVELOP SIGN LANGUAGE AVATAR TECHNOLOGY CAME FROM A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. ALL OF A SUDDEN I GOT A DISEASE CALLED MENIERE. SO MENIERE IS AN INNER EAR PROBLEM, AND WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU GET VERTIGO ATTACKS A LOT, AND THE OTHER SYMPTOM IS YOU START LOSING HEARING. ARASH SOON NOTICED THE ABSENCE OF DEAF OR HARD-OF-HEARING INDIVIDUALS IN HIS ENGINEERING FIELD AND SOUGHT TO FIND SOLUTIONS, BUT NOT ALL OF HIS IDEAS WORKED. INFORMATION IS RAPIDLY INCREASING EVERY DAY. YOU LOOK AT, FOR EXAMPLE, CHATGPT, RIGHT? IT'S ALL MAGICALLY DONE FAST IN ENGLISH. THEY'RE NOT ACCESSIBLE IN MANY LANGUAGES, BUT NOT ACCESSIBLE IN SIGN LANGUAGE. HOW WE CAN PROVIDE A TECHNOLOGY TO COMPLEMENT THE HUMAN INTERPRETERS. IT'S ALL ACCESSIBLE IN ENGLISH, BUT NOT EVERYBODY CAN READ. YEAH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF MY ASSUMPTIONS. SO WHEN I MET THE PEOPLE FROM A DEAF SCHOOL AND I SAID, 'HEY GUYS, THERE'S A TECHNOLOGY CALLED CLOSED CAPTION. 'WE CAN` WE CAN TWIST IT FOR KIWI ACCENT AND WE PROVIDE CAPTION 'FOR EVERY SINGLE THING. HOW COOL IS THAT?' THEY'RE LIKE, 'YEAH, THAT'S HELPFUL, BUT DO YOU KNOW THAT ENGLISH 'IS THE SECOND LANGUAGE OF THE DEAF COMMUNITY?' A LOT OF DEAF PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO ACTUALLY READ. IT'S LIKE CAPTIONING SOMETIMES IT'S TOO TECHNICAL, THE LANGUAGE, SOMETIMES IT GOES TOO FAST. YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY READ IT THAT FAST ON THE SCREEN. AND SO FOR DEAF PEOPLE, SIGN LANGUAGE, THE GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE IS VERY DIFFERENT TO ENGLISH BECAUSE IT IS A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE. AND ENGLISH TENDS TO START WITH THE TOPIC, AND THEN YOU CONTINUE ON THE SENTENCE, YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT TOPIC. BUT NEW ZEALAND SIGN LANGUAGE IS A VERY DIFFERENT GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE, SO THE SUBJECT-OBJECT VERB IS SWITCHED AROUND. # WE CAN BE BIGGER, BIGGER THAN THIS. # LISTEN TO THAT GOOD SONG BEATING IN YOUR CHEST. # DON'T BE SCARED TO STRAY TOO FAR. I JUST FEEL PRIVILEGED TO BE A PART OF... THIS. JUST TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR THE DEAF COMMUNITY. # BIGGER. # BIGGER. # FOR MANY YEARS THE CANTERBURY CAT, A BLACK PANTHER-LIKE CREATURE, HAS LONG BEEN RUMOURED TO STALK THE FOOTHILLS OF INLAND CANTERBURY. THE SIGHTINGS CONTINUE TO INCREASE EXPONENTIALLY AND NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE CAT WILL STAR IN A MOVIE WITH NONE OTHER THAN ELIJAH WOOD. JULIAN LEE REPORTS. WHERE DOES THE TALE OF THE CANTERBURY CAT START? WELL, IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK. WAS IT THE PREGNANT PUMA WHICH ALLEGEDLY ESCAPED FROM A SHIP IN LYTTELTON HARBOUR IN 1915? OR IS IT A BULKED-UP, FERAL FELINE THAT HAS EVOLVED OVER GENERATIONS? WELL, ONE THING IS FOR CERTAIN ` THE FIRST EVIDENCE COMES FROM HERE. WILLOCK ST, KAIAPOI, NORTH CANTERBURY. NOW, 50 YEARS AGO, THIS PLACE WAS RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF TOWN. SO WE GO RIGHT BACK TO 1977. IT'S 4am IN THE MORNING. AND FRANCES CLARK, WHO LIVES ON THE STREET, SHE HEARS A NOISE OUTSIDE, OPENS HER BLINDS AND SEES SOME SORT OF LARGE CREATURE WHICH SHE DESCRIBES AS A TIGER. CALLS POLICE IMMEDIATELY. THE COMMUNITY FINDS OUT AND SHE BECOMES A LAUGHINGSTOCK UNTIL... JUST FOUR DAYS LATER, HERE AT PINES BEACH, ONLY A FEW K'S AWAY FROM WILLOCK ST, THE POLICE FIND VERY LARGE FELINE PAW PRINTS RIGHT HERE IN THE SAND. BUT THE ANIMAL WAS NEVER FOUND. YET THE CASE FOR THE CAT IS MOUNTING. WE KNOW WHAT WE SAW. IT WAS A HUGE, GREAT BIG CAT. LIKE, BIG CAT. WASN'T A FERAL CAT. IF IT'S A FERAL CAT, IT'S BEEN ON STEROIDS FOR 20 YEARS. WELL, NOW THE CAT IS BIGGER THAN EVER BEFORE. HE OR SHE OR THEY HAVE GONE INTERNATIONAL. (SCREAMS) BOOKWORM IS A FILM ABOUT A PRECOCIOUS 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL'S RECONCILIATION WITH HER ESTRANGED FATHER, A WASHED-UP MAGICIAN. (DOORBELL RINGS) HELLO. MILDRED, IT'S ME, YOUR DAD. I JUST FLEW HALFWAY ACROSS THE WORLD TO BE WITH YOU, LITTLE LADY. I'D SAY SHE'S QUITE HOSTILE TOWARDS HIM. HE'S HER FATHER, BUT SHE'S NEVER MET HIM. I'M SORRY FOR THE WHOLE... 'IT IS HER MISSION TO CAPTURE FOOTAGE OF THIS PANTHER. 'TO GET THE $50,000 THAT SHE NEEDS TO GET HER MOM OUT OF DEBT.' I COULD TAKE YOU. WE LEAVE AT FIRST LIGHT. AND A LITTLE BIT OF MAGIC TRAINING PRIOR. ALTHOUGH, THANKFULLY, I DIDN'T HAVE TO EMPLOY TOO MANY OF THOSE SKILLS COS IT TAKES A LONG TIME. IT WAS ELIJAH FROM WORD GO. I HADN'T WORKED ON ANYTHING IN THE COUNTRY IN OVER A DECADE. REALLY MISSED IT AND HAD BEEN WANTING TO GET BACK TO NEW ZEALAND TO VISIT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. IT WAS WRITTEN FOR HIM. WE JUST HAD TO WAIT UNTIL HE'S, YOU KNOW, WARMED TO THE IDEA AND WANTED TO COME DOWN TO NEW ZEALAND FOR X AMOUNT OF TIME AGAIN. I THINK NEW ZEALAND EMBRACED HIM AS MUCH AS HE EMBRACED NEW ZEALAND. (LAUGHS) I DID NOT... HIS CO-STAR, NELL FISHER. WE SEARCHED HIGH AND WIDE, WENT THROUGH` I DON'T KNOW, IT FELT LIKE 300 KIDS AUDITIONING FOR THIS FILM. AND NELL FISHER, EVEN AT 11 YEARS OLD, WAS PULLING ME UP, QUESTIONING SCRIPT AND IDIOSYNCRASIES. LIKE, SHE'S JUST` SHE'S A BRAINIAC. LIKE MILDRED, I'M A BIT OF A BOOKWORM. I LOVE READING. I LOVE BEING ON SET, BEING WITH THE OTHER ACTORS, BUT I ALSO LIKE IT WHEN I'M AT HOME, GOING TO SCHOOL AND BEING A NORMAL KID. YOU GOT ANOTHER FUN WORD FOR THEM. SHE HAD A WORD OF THE DAY, MANY OF WHICH WERE INCREDIBLY LONG AND DIFFICULT FOR ME TO REMEMBER. EVERY DAY I WOULD PICK A NEW, INTERESTING, UNIQUE WORD THAT NO ONE WOULD HAVE HEARD OF. 'OBLIGURATION' IS MY FAVOURITE, WHICH IS SOMEONE WHO SPENDS TOO MUCH MONEY ON FOOD, AND I COMPLETELY RELATE. AND I FELT LIKE THAT WHEN SHE REVEALED THAT WORD, I WAS LIKE, 'YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT` YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ME.' I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A DAY WHERE I DIDN'T LEARN SOMETHING FROM HIM, WHETHER THAT WAS LIKE THE NAME OF A '70s ROCK BAND OR WHY ONE OF THE BEATLES DID SUCH AND SUCH. THIS IS JUST A PERSONAL THING THAT'S VERY SELFISH, BUT I REALLY LOVE THE FACT THAT SHE'S 11 YEARS OLD COS WE HAD SHORT DAYS. IT WAS AWESOME! (LAUGHS) ALL SHOT OUTSIDE ACROSS CANTERBURY. NO CGI HERE. WE WERE JUST IN THAT DREAM SCENARIO OF JUST BEING SPOILT FOR INCREDIBLE LOCATIONS. IT'S HARD TO POINT A CAMERA ANYWHERE DOWN THERE AND HAVE A BAD SHOT. BEING OUT IN THIS INCREDIBLE COUNTRY AND KIND OF EVERY SINGLE DAY, YOU WAKE UP AND IT'S ANOTHER (BLEEP) AMAZING SUNRISE. BEING OUT IN THIS INCREDIBLE COUNTRY AND KIND OF EVERY SINGLE DAY, YOU WAKE UP AND IT'S ANOTHER (BLEEP) AMAZING SUNRISE. IT'S LIKE THAT CROWDED HOUSE SONG, ISN'T IT? FOUR SEASONS IN ONE DAY, THE SUN SHINING UP THERE. WE'RE IN THIS GORGE. BUT YET IT'S RAINING, AND I'M SURE SOMEWHERE FURTHER ON DOWN THE RAVINE, IT'S SNOWING. AND THEN IF YOU GO ROUND A CORNER, IT'S BEEN VERY WINDY. I WOULD SAY ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT ARE THE NEW ZEALAND MEAT PIES THAT WE HAD ON THE REGULAR. AND DIALOGUE. I FEEL LIKE I'VE EATEN MY WEIGHT IN THEM SINCE BEING IN NEW ZEALAND, BUT, OH, MAN, SHOUT OUT TO SHEFFIELD. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. FATHER AND DAUGHTER, ON A WEE TRACK OUT IN THE BEAUTIFUL WILDERNESS IN NEW ZEALAND. IS THIS WHAT I'M SEEING HERE? IT'S JUST A LOVELY STORY. AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE` THERE'S A LOT OF MEN WHO ARE ESTRANGED FROM THEIR FAMILIES, AND THERE'S A LOT OF HOPE AND REDEMPTION IN IT. I THINK IT'S SAYING THAT I THINK IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO BUILD A PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP. AFTER ALL, WHAT MATTERS MOST IS NOT THE HUNT FOR ONE OF NEW ZEALAND'S CAGIEST CRYPTOZOOLOGY CREATURES, BUT A PURSUIT FAR MORE FRAUGHT WITH DIFFICULTY AND DANGER ` HEALING A BROKEN FAMILY. MOST DAUGHTERS SEE THEIR DADS MORE THAN ONCE A DECADE. MILDRED. IT'S ALL RIGHT TO BE SCARED. I'LL LOOK AFTER YOU. GO, GO, GO! I CAN'T DO IT! YES, YOU CAN! (BOTH SCREAM) NICE KITTY. WE'LL BE BACK IN JUST A MOMENT WITH TOMORROW'S PLACE TO BE. THE PLACE TO BE TOMORROW IS WAIHI BEACH. THERE'S GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE, IDEAL FOR A WALK ON THE BEACH AND NOT TOO COLD FOR AN ICE CREAM FROM MR WHIPPY. ON THE SHOW NEXT WEEK ` THE RIGHT AND VERY WRONG WAY TO PULL A SICKIE AT WORK. THOSE WERE OUR PEOPLE TODAY. THAT WAS SEVEN SHARP TONIGHT. INTERIOR DESIGN MASTERS WITH ALAN CARR IS UP NEXT. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND AND WE'LL SEE YOU ON MONDAY. PO MARIE. CAPTIONS BY KATE HARRIS, TUI TIPENE AND LELE SIMEON. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024.