CHANCES ARE HIGH YOU'VE EITHER BEEN CAUGHT UP IN A SCAM OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS. BECAUSE SCAMS ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE SOPHISTICATED AND PERSONAL. TWO. ALL SO HOW CAN WE STAY ONE STEP AHEAD? OH, WOW, THIS IS THE PERFECT JOB. 'COULD YOU BE OUR NEXT PART-TIME SCAMMER?' WELL, YES, I COULD. 'WORK WITH CELEBRITIES. GENEROUS BONUS FOR MASS SCAMS. 'WORK FROM HOME! APPLY NOW.' SCAMMING IS A GROWTH INDUSTRY, THE SWINDLES MORE SOPHISTICATED BY THE DAY. SOME SCAMS SEEM TOO PERSONAL TO BE A CON, LIKE A COURIER MESSAGE ABOUT THAT PARCEL YOU'RE INDEED EXPECTING, OR ` WORSE ` CONVINCING YOU YOUR CHILD IS IN A PICKLE. FOR A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE, SCAMS HAVE DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES. IF ANYBODY'S REACHED OUT TO YOU WHO SAYS TO YOU THAT THEY ARE ME, THEY ARE LYING. THANKS TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, THESE HOAXERS ARE GETTING BRAVER. I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE SUCH AN INNOVATIVE PRODUCT IN MY HANDS. WHATEVER THE KIND, ALL HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON. SO IF WE CAN'T AVOID THEM, HOW CAN WE AT LEAST OUTWIT THEM? IT'S A SCAM, BRO. WHAT? KEANU REEVES SAID I'D BE REALLY GOOD AT IT. YEAH. AND FOR MORE ON THIS, WE'RE JOINED BY SEAN LYONS FROM NETSAFE. AND FOR MORE ON THIS, WE'RE JOINED BY SEAN LYONS FROM NETSAFE. NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN, SEAN. THEY DO SEEM TO BE COMING IN THICK AND FAST AT THE MOMENT, DON'T THEY? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LATEST SCAMS? WELL, WE'RE SEEING AN AWFUL LOT OF THE SAME OLD USUAL SUSPECTS, IF YOU LIKE, BUT ALSO A FAIR SPRINKLING NEW ONES TOO. SO STILL THERE, THE KIND OF TRADITIONAL, I SUPPOSE ` A PACKAGE THAT HASN'T ARRIVED THAT'S MISSING YOUR ADDRESS AND IS LOOKING FOR SOME MONEY TO CLEAR CUSTOMS OR A ROAD TOLL, UM, OR A ROAD TAX THAT WASN'T PAID; MAYBE EVEN AN AWARD FROM THE GOVERNMENT FOR BEING A GREAT CITIZEN. ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE POSSIBLE AND COMING IN AT AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE AT A FRIGHTENING RATE. AND SEAN, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RED FLAGS WE SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT FOR? I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS IS THE KIND OF` THE TOTALLY OUT-OF-THE-BLUE, UNSOLICITED NATURE OF THE REQUESTS OR THE AWARDS, THE PRIZES THAT WERE BEING OFFERED. THERE AREN'T MANY PEOPLE THAT THAT REACH OUT AND SAY, 'HERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY FOR US.' THERE AREN'T MANY PEOPLE THAT WILL REACH OUT AND NEED MONEY TO CLEAR A PACKAGE. IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, SUBSET OF ORGANISATIONS THAT WILL DO THAT. WE JUST NEED TO BE REALLY WARY OF WHEN PEOPLE COME TO US LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'VE GOT A TIME PRESSURE TRYING TO MAKE US ACT REALLY QUICKLY AND SIGN UP OR PAY UP AND WITH A VERY SMALL WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT. SEAN, WE JUST SAW THE LOST PHONE SCAM IN OUR STORY. I'VE HAD ONE OF THOSE MYSELF. WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE THERE? I MEAN, SOMETIMES YOUR KIDS DO LOSE THEIR PHONES, DON'T THEY? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND SO THIS IS A CLASSIC ONE OF THOSE... WHAT IS IT, THE SEVEN P'S? 'PRIOR PLANNING AND PREPARATION PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE.' YOU REALLY NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT IT WITH YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE, KIND OF WHAT WE WOULD AND WOULDN'T DO AS A FAMILY SHOULD WE FIND OURSELVES IN THAT POSITION. SO MAKING SURE WE'VE GOT NUMBERS FOR FAMILY MEMBERS, MAKING SURE THAT OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE GOT FRIENDS' NUMBERS THEY CAN RING TO CHECK, AND IT MIGHT EVEN BE DOWN TO HAVING SOME KIND OF CODE WORD OR KEYWORD THAT WE MIGHT USE IN ORDER TO REALLY PROVE IT'S OUR IDENTITY. BUT ALSO BEING AWARE THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN FORGET A KEYWORD OR A PASSWORD ` MAYBE THINKING ABOUT SOME QUESTIONS THAT WE COULD QUERY EACH OTHER WITH THAT ONLY WE WOULD KNOW AND SCAMMERS MIGHT STRUGGLE TO FIND OUT ONLINE. AND THE SCAM TEXT MESSAGES AT THE MOMENT SEEM TO BE ASKING PEOPLE TO REPLY VIA WHATSAPP. WHY WOULD THAT BE? I THINK QUITE COMMONLY, SCAMMERS LIKE TO KIND OF KNOCK US OFF BALANCE A LITTLE BIT. SO MOVING US FROM ONE PLATFORM TO SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT WE MIGHT BE LESS FAMILIAR IS SOMETHING THAT THEY QUITE COMMONLY DO, JUST BECAUSE THEY FEEL, MAYBE, THAT WE'LL BE A BIT MORE VULNERABLE HAVING TO GO TO A PLACE THAT WE ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH. IT MAY BE SOMETHING ABOUT THE SCAM AND THAT SUITS A PARTICULAR APP OR A PARTICULAR PLATFORM SPECIFICALLY. THEY MIGHT HAVE A` YOU KNOW, A PRE-MADE GROUP OF PEOPLE THERE TO CONVINCE YOU THAT THIS SCAM IS` MIGHT BE PRETENDING TO BE EXISTING CUSTOMERS OR EXISTING INVESTORS. SO THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS THAT THEY DO IT. AND I THINK THE KEY THERE FOR EVERYBODY IS TO STOP AND THINK BEFORE WE DO, AND BE VERY CAREFUL, CERTAINLY, IF WE'RE MOVING TO A PLATFORM THAT WE'RE REALLY NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH USING. SEAN, WHAT ARE SOME KEY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO STAY AHEAD OF THESE SCAMMERS? TAKE A BREATH, TAKE SOME TIME, THINK ABOUT HOW REALISTIC THE` WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US IS. THINK ABOUT, ARE THERE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN CHECK WHAT'S GOING ON? IF IT'S A BUSINESS THAT SAYS IT'S BEHIND IT, HOW ELSE COULD I CHECK WITH THE BUSINESS? IF IT'S A FAMILY MEMBER THAT'S INVOLVED, OR ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED, WHO ELSE COULD I RING ` A FRIEND, ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER ` TO CHECK, 'IS THIS THE REAL SITUATION? 'ARE THEY ACTUALLY WHERE THIS TEXT OR EMAIL SAYS THEY ARE? 'WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO SUPPORT THEM?' RATHER THAN FOLLOWING DOWN THE... WHAT MIGHT BE SEEMING LIKE A SLIGHTLY DODGY TRAIL THAT THAT TEXT MESSAGE IS ASKING YOU TO FOLLOW. THANKS, SEAN. SOME GREAT ADVICE THERE. PLEASURE. CAPTIONS BY BRIGIT KELLY, MAEVE KELLY AND JASON CONRAN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2025 FOR THE LONGEST TIME, 'BREATH WORK' WAS SEEN AS SOMETHING JUST FOR THOSE ALTERNATIVE YOGA TYPES. BUT AS LIFE GETS INSANELY BUSY, USING BREATHING AS A CALMING TOOL IS TAKING OFF ACROSS THE BOARD ` EVEN IN THE CORPORATE WORLD. RACHEL PARKIN EXPLAINS. (FUNKY ELECTRONIC MUSIC) UP AND AT 'EM IN ALL OF THIS ` HOW COULD YOU NOT FEEL GOOD? OH, I MEAN IT'S JUST EXHILARATING, ISN'T IT? IT'S JUST THAT SENSE OF ALIVENESS. FOR JENAFER MATTHEWS, PORT HILLS HIKING IS A MOST-MORNINGS RITUAL THAT SETS HER UP FOR THE DAY. THE DAY GETS BUSY, SO TAKING THESE MOMENTS TO PAUSE... TO BREATH AND JUST TAKE IT ALL IN... BUT JEN WASN T ALWAYS THIS ZEN. AS IS OFTEN THE CASE, ZEN JEN WAS BORN OUT OF BURN-OUT. I WAS WORKING A REALLY FAST-PACED JOB, AND I WAS EITHER HERE ` JUST STRESSED DURING THE DAY ` OR COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED AT NIGHT. SO I WAS WIRED AND TIRED, GOING TO BED AT 7:30PM. WHEN WESTERN MEDICINE DIDN T CUT IT, JEN DIVING DEEP INTO BREATHWORK, AND WHAT SHE FOUND WAS LIFE-CHANGING. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THE BREATH IS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE MIND AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. THAT WAS FOUR YEARS AGO; THESE DAYS SHE S ALL ABOUT SHARING. EXHALE FOR 4... HOLD FOR 4... THIS, HER FINAL SESSION WITH BROOKSFIELD DEVELOPERS. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE OUR ARMS UP? IT RAISES OUR ENERGY. FOR THE PAST 7 WEEKS, THE TEAM BREATHING ITS WAY THROUGH NEW TOPICS. THERE'S A BREATHE THAT I USE THAT I DO WHEN I'M IN PUBLIC OR IN THE CAR. SENDING THE BREATHE DOWN... AND PLACE ONE HAND ON YOUR BELLY. THERE'S A BREATH THAT I USE WHEN I'M IN PUBLIC OR IN THE CAR. SENDING THE BREATHE DOWN... AND PLACE ONE HAND ON YOUR BELLY. PLACE ONE HAND ON THE STEERING WHEEL. KEEP THE BREATH GOING... IT'S JUST A NICE CUE. JEN S DRIVING FORCE ` TO MAKE BREATHWORK LESS 'WOO WOO'... AND, ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE NOTICE WE'RE SITTING LIKE THIS. ...MORE FOR YOU ` SOMETHING EVERYBODY CAN BENEFIT FROM. SO, WHAT DO WE DO? WE CORRECT OUR POSTURE. FOR CATHERINE GEORGE... SO, I AM THE 'LUNG MECHANIC'. ...THAT S A GOOD THING. THIS RESPIRATORY PHYSIOTHERAPIST RECKONS THE MORE EDUCATED WE ARE ON HOW AND WHY WE BREATHE THE BETTER. WE'RE USELESS AT BREATHING, ESSENTIALLY. WESTERNERS ` WE'RE USELESS AT BREATHING, ESSENTIALLY. OUR DAILY LIVES DON'T MATCH HOW OUR STRESS RESPONSE IS DESIGNED.. PEOPLE SAY TO ME ALL THE TIME, I'M NOT STRESSED. 'THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH MY BREATHING', AND YOU'RE LIKE, 'WELL, YOU ARE STRESSED. 'YOUR LIFE IS BUSY, OUR LIVES ARE BUSY.' 'YOUR LIFE IS BUSY; OUR LIVES ARE BUSY.' AS THINGS AND TECHNOLOGY HAVE INCREASED OVER TIME, WE'VE JUST SQUEEZED MORE INTO OUR LIVES. THAT LOAD WE ALL CARRY JUST TOO MUCH. AND EXPECTING OUR BODIES TO FEEL CALM AND IN PROPORTION TO WHAT WE THINK THEY SHOULD BE DOING. AND THEY JUST DON'T? THEY DO NOT, NO. WHO'VE WE GOT HERE? I VE NEVER NAMED HIM; I DON'T KNOW WHY? I VE NEVER NAMED HIM; I DON'T KNOW WHY. BASICALLY, THE DIAPHRAGM IS A BIG, DOME-SHAPED MUSCLE, AND WHEN IT CONTRACTS, IT PULLS DOWNWARDS AND OUTWARDS, AND THAT CAUSES THE LUNGS TO INFLATE. SO THIS WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING... NOT THIS. NOT THIS. NONE OF THIS. NO, NONE OF THAT. (LAUGHS) (CHILL ACOUSTIC MUSIC) JEN S ADVICE ` CARVE OUT 10 MINUTES TO BOOK-END YOUR DAY WITH BREATHING, AND USE THE TOOLS WHEN NEEDED. IT'S 3PM ` WE'RE TIRED; WE'RE SPENT. HAVING YOUR OWN TOOLKIT... MOST PEOPLE, IF YOU SAY 'TAKE A DEEP BREATH' ` FIRST OF ALL YOU MIGHT GET THE MIDDLE FINGER, COS NO ONE LIKES TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO. ...MAKING ALL THE DIFFERENCE. LIFTING OUR ENERGY, EXHALE THROUGH THE MOUTH. RELEASING ANY STRESS FROM THE DAY. SO, SOMETIMES IF I'M FEELING LOW-ENERGY BEFORE... MEETING WITH PEOPLE, I'LL DO THAT FOR A LITTLE BIT, JUST SO I CAN BE PRESENT AND ARRIVE MY BEST SELF. FOR THE WHOLE TEAM, I VE DEFINITELY NOTICED A DIFFERENCE. WE ALL HAVE EACH OTHER ON NOW ` IF ANYONE'S STRESSED OUT ` TO DO CERTAIN TYPES OF BREATHES. THAT SORT OF THING, SO IT'S GOOD. I THINK THAT WE'RE STARTING TO REALISE HOW POWERFUL THE BREATH IS. WESTERN SCIENCE NOW HAS ITS LENS ON THE BREATH AND BREATHWORK. A LOT OF THINGS HAPPEN IN OUR BODY WE DON T HAVE CONTROL OF, SO WE CAN'T SAY 'HEY, HEART RATE SLOW DOWN' OR 'HEY, BLOOD PRESSURE, DROP', BUT OUR BREATHING IS THAT ONE PART WE CAN PHYSICALLY ALTER THAT THEN INFLUENCES THOSE OTHER RESPONSES IN OUR BODY. FROM THE MOMENT WE RE BORN UNTIL WE LEAVE THIS STUNNING EARTH, WE ALL DO IT, SO WHY NOT MAKE BREATHING COUNT. E WHAI AKE NEI ` COMING UP ON SEVEN SHARP ` ONE OF OUR BIGGEST DANCE EXPORTS CELEBRATES 30 YEARS IN THE BIZ. ALL: SI SI SI! (LAIDBACK MUSIC) Dear Diary, my move to Summerset has been quite the page turner. Sally wants me on the croquet team, but Beth says mahjong's where all the fun is at. Mahjong! Yeah! I can hear Barry's choir from here. (CHOIR SINGS) And Kenneth's passionate about getting everyone's heart rate up. But Molly and I opted to do a whole lot of nothing today. A wonderfully underrated pastime. NAU MAI HOKI MAI ` WELCOME BACK. LOVELY TO HAVE YOU WITH US. IF YOU ASK A KIWI ABOUT SOME OF OUR MOST ENDANGERED NATIVES, THEY'LL BE QUICK TO KNOCK OFF A PRETTY EXTENSIVE LIST OF BIRDS, BUT RARELY DO OUR FLORA GET A MENTION. IN HAWKE'S BAY, THERE'S A TEAM FIGHTING TO KEEP SOME OF OUR RAREST SPECIES ALIVE ` SPECIES THAT ARE FOUND ONLY IN THEIR REGION, AND SOME THAT ARE DOWN TO THE SINGLE DIGITS. HERE'S LUCAS DE JONG. (SOULFUL, SOOTHING, GUITAR MUSIC) (SOULFUL, SOOTHING GUITAR MUSIC) TE MATA PEAKS IS JUST, LIKE, OUR ECOLOGICAL HOTSPOT. IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND BRUTAL AT THE SAME TIME. WINDSWEPT LIMESTONE CLIFFS THAT HOUSE TINY POCKETS OF LIFE ` LIFE THAT'S JUST CLINGING ON. SO, THIS IS A PIMELEA MIMOSA. IT'S LIKE A LITTLE HAIRY, GREY HEBE. TE MATA PARK IS THE ONLY PLACE IT'S EVER BEEN FOUND. THEY FOUND 10 ` 10 PLANTS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD, AND MARIE WAS GIVEN THEIR SEEDS. AND THEY'RE GORGEOUS. LOOK ` THEY'RE FAT AND PINK; THEY'RE REALLY LOVELY. THEY'RE NOT VERY CUDDLY, ARE THEY? AND THEY'RE NOT VERY EXCITING, BUT THEY ARE TO ME. AND IN CONSERVATION, BIRDS USUALLY GET` YOU KNOW, IN LOW NUMBERS, GET ALL THE PUBLICITY, BUT PLANTS THAT CREATE THE HABITAT ARE REALLY THE BASIS FOR... EVERYTHING ELSE. (SWEEPING GUITAR MUSIC) AT HER HAWKE'S BAY NURSERY, YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO STEP ON SOMETHING SPECIAL, LIKE PIMELEA XENICA ` A PLANT ONLY FOUND IN ONE AREA OF NAPIER'S COASTLINE. NOW, THOUGH... SAVED IT? SLOWLY, SLOWLY. OFFICIALLY SAVED? YEAH, I THINK SO. YEAH? AMAZING. OR PIMELEA PRINOSA PROSTRATA. I THINK IT'S ONLY FOUND AT CAPE TURNAGAIN, I THINK. CAPE TURNAGAIN? WOW. YEAH. QUITE SPECIFIC SORT OF PLANTS, AREN'T THEY? IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC LITTLE INDUSTRY YOU'VE FOUND YOURSELF IN, THOUGH, ISN'T IT? (LAUGHS) FINDING THESE TINY LITTLE POPULATIONS, AND THEN TAKING IT ON YOURSELF TO... YEAH, WE'RE TRYING TO. ...TO MAKE THEM SPREAD. PEOPLE JUST COME TO YOU WITH THINGS, AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE KAKABEAK. THE KAKABEAK. SO, THEY'RE ONLY FOUND NATURALLY IN GISBORNE AND HAWKE'S BAY. BUT YOU'LL STRUGGLE TO FIND ONE IN THE WILD. THERE'S ONLY ABOUT 100 PLANTS LEFT IN THE WILD. NOW, THE COOL THING IS, THOUGH ` WE KNOW WHERE MOST OF THEM ARE. SO THE TEAM GATHERED CUTTINGS AND PAUL'S GREEN FINGERS MADE ONE INTO MANY. I MEAN, HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU GIVEN, YOU KNOW` GET GIVEN ONE PLANT... ONE PLANT, YES. ...AND TOLD, 'GOOD LUCK, PAUL.' YEAH. I WAS, YES. 'MAKE SURE YOU MAKE IT WORTHWHILE', YOU KNOW? YEAH, THERE'S NO PRESSURE (!) YEAH, REWARDING AT THE END OF IT, WHEN YOU SEE THEM COME THROUGH, AND YOU DON'T WANNA LOSE SPECIES. IT'S LIKE WITH BIRDS AND ANIMALS ` YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE THEM FOREVER, SO YOU JUST WANNA DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO SAVE THOSE LINES OF PLANTS. SO, FROM A HUNDRED IN THE WILD, HOW MANY KAKABEAKS DO YOU THINK YOU'VE PUT YOUR HANDS ON OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS? OH... THOUSANDS. THOUSANDS?! YEAH, THOUSANDS. PROBLEM FOR THEM IN THE WILD ` AND THIS IS WHY THE POPULATION IS CRASHING ` IS THEY'RE REALLY DELICIOUS. THAT'S WHY SHE SELLS THEM. THE FUTURE OF THE KAKABEAK IS SAFE IN URBAN AREAS, WHERE HOME GARDENERS CAN PROTECT THEM. THERE'S A BIG PROJECT CALLED THE URBAN KAKABEAK PROJECT WE'RE INVOLVED IN, AND PEOPLE GET A PLANT THAT THEY KNOW ITS NAME, AND THEN THEY COLLECT ALL THE SEEDS AND THEY BRING THEM BACK. AND THE SEED HAS BEEN COLLECTED AND IS GETTING PUT BACK INTO THE WILD. THEY'VE DONE HELICOPTER SHOOTING ` ALL KINDS OF PROJECTS TO INCREASE THE SEED BANK IN THE WILD. (GROOVY MUSIC) IT'S NOT JUST THE RARE ` ALL SORTS OF LOCALLY-SOURCED NATIVES ARE GROWN AT PLANT HAWKE'S BAY, ALONG WITH A FEW CYCLONE-STABILISING POPLARS. HERE, STATE OF THE ART MACHINERY WORKS IN TANDEM WITH PEOPLE TO GROW, SELL AND SPREAD LIFE. BUT ONE PLANT ISN'T FOR SALE. AM I ALLOWED TO TOUCH IT? YOU ARE ALLOWED TO TOUCH IT. I FEEL LIKE IT'S SO RARE... YOU ARE! IT'S PRETTY SPECIAL. OK... SO, THIS IS MYOSOTIS PETIOLATA. IT'S A FORGET ME NOT. BUT THIS ONE IS ESPECIALLY RARE, BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY FOUR PLANTS IN THE WORLD. SO, OF COURSE, THEY CAME TO MARIE. SO, I WAS GIVEN A FEW PLANTS, WHICH WERE GROWN FROM CUTTINGS ` I THINK ABOUT 10 PLANTS, MAYBE, I WAS GIVEN? WELL, I PROBABLY KILLED ABOUT SEVEN OF THEM, WHICH WAS JUST, LIKE, NERVE WRACKING. NOW YOU'RE DOWN TO THREE. (LAUGHS) YEAH. IS THERE A POSITIVE END TO THIS STORY? YEAH, THERE'S A POSITIVE END. WORKING WITH DOC, SHE BROUGHT THEM BACK FROM THE BRINK. SEE ALL THE SPORES ` FUNGAL SPORES ` ON THE BACK? NOW... WE'VE GOT ABOUT 200, 250 GROWING HERE AND, YEAH, SEVERAL HUNDRED MORE CUTTINGS READY TO GO. MARIE AND HER TEAM HAVE REALLY CRACKED IT, TO BE HONEST. WE DIDN'T EXPECT TO BE STANDING NEXT TO 700 PLANTS, INCLUDING THE CUTTINGS FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS. IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO, POTENTIALLY, REINTRODUCE THIS PLANT INTO DIFFERENT AREAS WITHIN HAWKE'S BAY. (CALMING MUSIC) WHICH BRINGS US BACK TO TE MATA PEAK, WHERE 10 PIMELEA MIMOSAS HAVE NOW MULTIPLIED INTO THE HUNDREDS. THEY ALL GERMINATED. I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY LUCK. SERIOUSLY, IT WAS LIKE` IT WAS LIKE A MIRACLE. WE FEEL LIKE THAT SPECIES IS NOW SECURE. AND THAT'S THE MISSION ` SAVE THE SACRED. SO NOW, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND GROW AS MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF PLANTS FROM HAWKE'S BAY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. YOU JUST HAVE TO GO FOR IT. LIFE'S SHORT, YOU KNOW. WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANY MORE SPECIES; THEY'RE SO VALUABLE. WE JUST HAVE TO DO OUR BEST EVERY DAY. (SPARKLING MUSIC FADES) BLACK GRACE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF NEW ZEALAND'S MOST INNOVATIVE DANCE COMPANIES, FOUNDED IN THE '90s BY A BANKER FROM PORIRUA. NOW THEY'RE CELEBRATING A BIG MILESTONE WITH A NEW SHOW, 'THIS IS NOT A RETROSPECTIVE'. RHIANNON McCALL HAS MORE. (GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC) THIS YEAR, BLACK GRACE CELEBRATES THEIR 30th BIRTHDAY ` 30 YEARS OF CHALLENGING THE NORMS OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE. (UPBEAT, PERCUSSIVE MUSIC PLAYS) THE TRAILBLAZING LEADER SINCE THE BEGINNING IS NEIL IEREMIA. WHEN I STARTED BLACK GRACE, I WAS 24 YEARS OLD, AND THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF MALES INVOLVED IN DANCE BACK THEN, AND CERTAINLY NOT A LOT OF MAORI OR PACIFIC ISLAND MALE DANCERS. CERTAINLY WHERE I COME FROM ` CANNON'S CREEK IN PORIRUA ` CERTAINLY WHERE I COME FROM ` CANNONS CREEK IN PORIRUA ` IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT 'MEN' DID. SO, WHEN I STARTED BLACK GRACE, WE HAD AN EX-STREET KID; STREET FIGHTER; A DEVOUT CHRISTIAN, I THINK THREE DRAG QUEENS; AN EX-SOLDIER; EX-ACCOUNTANT TURNED AEROBICS CHAMPION; AND A BOOKWORM AND ME. WE ALL LOVED DANCE, WERE CONVINCED THAT WE COULD, SORT OF, HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY. I'M A ISLAND KID FROM CANNONS CREEK, FROM THE HEART OF THAT HOOD, AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE PERFORMED` TAKEN MY WORK TO THE KENNEDY CENTRE, TO THE JOYCE IN NEW YORK CITY AND TO BROADWAY, AND I FEEL REALLY PROUD ABOUT THAT ` AS PROUD AS I FEEL ABOUT TAKING WORK TO CANNON'S CREEK, TO KAITAIA, TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SOUTH ISLAND, TO INVERCARGILL. AND SO THERE IS AN ENORMOUS SENSE OF PRIDE, AND THAT IS WHAT KEEPS ME GOING. # CAN'T WE GIVE OURSELVES ONE MORE CHANCE? BLACK GRACE IS ABOUT MORE THAN ME, AND AFTER 30 YEARS, I KNOW THAT MORE THAN EVER. I WANT IT TO BE AROUND WELL AFTER I'M GONE, AND SO INVESTING IN YOUNG PEOPLE AND GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED IN IT... IF WE CAN TRAIN THE BEST DANCERS FROM THIS REGION AND SEND THEM OFF TO THE BEST DANCE COMPANIES AROUND THE WORLD, AND GETTING THEM TELLING OUR STORIES ` WHAT AN AMAZING THING THAT WOULD BE. TWO OF THOSE DANCERS ARE DEMI ` WHO HAS BEEN WITH BLACK GRACE FOR ALMOST A DECADE ` AND CALEB, WHO JOINED BLACK GRACE NINE MONTHS AGO. HE SAYS THE REASON FOR THEIR SUCCESS IS CLEAR. NEIL. NAH. (BOTH LAUGH) HE'S VERY DRIVEN, VERY AMBITIOUS, PERFECTIONIST IN EVERY WAY. (SPEAKS IN TIME WITH MUSIC) WAIT... GO. I THINK IT'S QUALITY, YOU KNOW? THE QUALITY OF THE WORK IS OF A REALLY HIGH STANDARD. IT'S THAT COMPARISON INTERNATIONALLY RATHER THAN THINKING TOO LOCALLY. (UPBEAT HIP-HOP MUSIC) THE STANDARD IS INCREDIBLY HIGH. THAT REHEARSAL WAS AMAZING. YOU HAVE NO ROPES. THERE IS NOTHING TO CATCH YOU IF YOU FALL. IS IT SCARY DOING THIS KIND OF WORK? I MEAN, DEMI` YEP. A LITTLE BIT, YEAH. BUT, I MEAN, IT'S TRUST. WE TRY AND BUILD TRUST AS MUCH AS WE CAN. OBVIOUSLY THERE'S FUNCTIONAL THINGS, MECHANICAL THINGS, TECHNICAL THINGS ` YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE THERE AND CATCHING IN A PARTICULAR WAY, BUT WE TRY AND FEEL IT TOGETHER AND JUST TRUST EACH OTHER. IT'S A LOT OF FUN TOO, JUST SAYING. BEING UP THERE IS PRETTY FUN. I'M NEVER GONNA SEE THAT HEIGHT, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY, SO IT'S NICE TO BE UP REALLY HIGH. (LAUGHS) THIS SATURDAY IS BLACK GRACE'S PARTY, 'THIS IS NOT A RETROSPECTIVE', AT AUCKLAND'S TOWN HALL, WITH SPECIAL GUESTS CHE FU, NZTRIO AND MORE. I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE FUN. YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME ALONG EXPECTING THIS SORT OF DRAWN-OUT PIECE OF CONTEMPORARY ART. (LAUGHS) HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE THIS SATURDAY? PUMPED. YEAH. PUMPED. IT'S A REALLY FUN SHOW. YOU'RE GOING ON A ROLLER-COASTER RIDE, AND YOU'RE STRAPPED IN FOR THE WHOLE THING. NO ONE'S GETTING OFF. NO ONE'S GETTING OFF. (BOTH LAUGH) FOR ME ` AND, WELL EVERYONE ` IT'S A MASSIVE HONOUR AS WELL. LIKE, 30 YEARS... EVEN TO BE, LIKE, INTERVIEWED WITH, YOU KNOW, DEMI OR TO KIND OF REPRESENT, LIKE, THE COMPANY AS WELL ` IT'S A MASSIVE HONOUR. THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON IN THE WORLD, BUT WE GET TO COME IN AND PUT OUR STRETCHY PANTS ON AND DANCE ALL DAY, (LAUGHS) SO... YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A HUGE PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO BE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING, YEAH. IT'S COOL. AH. I LOVE TO PUT MY STRETCHY PANTS ON, BUT I DON'T DANCE. YES. (LAUGHS) I DO STRETCHY PANTS, AND THEN ONTO THE COUCH. # UNDER PRESSURE. # PRESSURE. # WE'LL BE BACK IN JUST A MOMENT, WITH A GREAT PLACE TO EAT A WHITEBAIT SANDWICH. CLOSED WITH A GREAT PLACE TO EAT A WHITEBAIT SANDWICH. THE PLACE TO BE TOMORROW IS MOKAU IN COASTAL SOUTH WAIKATO. IT'S GOING TO BE A STUNNING DAY ` PERFECT FOR GRABING A LOCALLY CAUGHT, $18 WHITEBAIT SANDWICH FROM THE WHITEBAIT INN. ON THE SHOW TOMORROW, WE'RE TAKING A BREAK FOR THE CRICKET, BECAUSE THE BLACKS CAPS ARE PLAYING PAKISTAN. THOSE WERE OUR PEOPLE TODAY. THAT WAS SEVEN SHARP TONIGHT. THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF IS UP NEXT ` YUM. WE'LL SEE YOU MONDAY. PO MARIE. CHEERIO. CAPTIONS BY BRIGIT KELLY, MAEVE KELLY AND JASON CONRAN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2025