Tourists continue to flock across the ditch to New Zealand. 

Stats NZ figures show more than 260 thousand overseas travellers visited in October, 22 thousand up on the year before. 

More than 120 thousand came from Australia – a record October high. 

Tourism Holdings CEO Grant Webster told Heather du Plessis-Allan that New Zealand is currently a cheap destination for Australian tourists when compared to places like the United States.  

He says there’s also been strong marketing from Tourism New Zealand, which has been paying off. 

LISTEN ABOVE  

Tourists continue to flock across the ditch to New Zealand.&nbsp;
Stats NZ figures show more than 260 thousand overseas travellers visited in October, 22 thousand up on the year before.&nbsp;
More than 120 thousand came from Australia – a record October high.&nbsp;
Tourism Holdings CEO Grant Webster told Heather du Plessis-Allan that New Zealand is currently a cheap destination for Australian tourists when compared to places like the United States. &nbsp;
He says there’s also been strong marketing from Tourism New Zealand, which has been paying off.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

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Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show. Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda. The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more. The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.

Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.

The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion,...

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Grant Webster: Tourism Holdings CEO on tourism numbers rising 6% in the year to October

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/b9cf1c5a-8368-479e-b2c5-b3af0146b89b/transcript

This business of Australia tightening up its gun laws feels like it runs the risk of distracting from the bigger problems over there. 

I don’t think guns were the problem on Sunday. Australia already has some of the tightest gun laws in the world. 

This is a race relations problem. 

This attack was predictable. There was no shortage of warnings. 

Jewish businesses have been set alight in recent years, synagogues have been attacked, obviously Jewish people have been hassled, Israeli people have been denied customer service in Melbourne, cars have been set alight in an anti-Semitic attack and two nurses in Sydney lost their jobs for bragging on TikTok that they would kill Jewish patients. 

There is a timeline on Time magazine’s website of all the events leading up to Sunday that is confronting. 

The Albanese Government knew there was a problem brewing. They asked the special envoy on anti-Semitism to give them a set of recommendations. 

For the last six months they’ve had those recommendations and done nothing. 

So, tightening up gun laws is never a bad thing. Checking in on a licence holder every few years rather than never must be a good thing. 

But if the Aussies think that’s the fix for what just happened, they are misguided and allowing themselves to be distracted. 

This business of Australia tightening up its gun laws feels like it runs the risk of distracting from the bigger problems over there.&nbsp;
I don’t think guns were the problem on Sunday. Australia already has some of the tightest gun laws in the world.&nbsp;
This is a race relations problem.&nbsp;
This attack was predictable. There was no shortage of warnings.&nbsp;
Jewish businesses have been set alight in recent years, synagogues have been attacked, obviously Jewish people have been hassled, Israeli people have been denied customer service in Melbourne, cars have been set alight in an anti-Semitic attack and two nurses in Sydney lost their jobs for bragging on TikTok that they would kill Jewish patients.&nbsp;
There is a timeline on Time magazine’s website of all the events leading up to Sunday that is confronting.&nbsp;
The Albanese Government knew there was a problem brewing. They asked the special envoy on anti-Semitism to give them a set of recommendations.&nbsp;
For the last six months they’ve had those recommendations and done nothing.&nbsp;
So, tightening up gun laws is never a bad thing. Checking in on a licence holder every few years rather than never must be a good thing.&nbsp;
But if the Aussies think that’s the fix for what just happened, they are misguided and allowing themselves to be distracted.&nbsp;

Heather du Plessis-Allan: The Bondi attack was a race relations problem

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/7bf7359c-f235-4d31-b03c-b3b40159cc6b/transcript

Tom Sainsbury is back in our ears, and he’ll soon be on our screens too. 

Season three of the Kiwi comedian’s one-man murder mystery series has just released, but it’s actually season one that’s about to make the headlines. 

The first season of his ‘Small Town Scandal’ podcast has been turned into an eight episode TV series, releasing in February next year. 

It’s the biggest project Sainsbury’s done to date, but he revealed to Heather du Plessis-Allan that he’s struggling a little bit to recognise just how big of a moment it is. 

“When you’re kind of working on a TV show, it’s just such a long process,” he explained. 

“When you kind of live with it, to the minutiae of watching every little bit of it, it doesn’t feel like a big moment.”  

Unlike the podcast, in which Sainsbury voices every role, he’s performing alongside other actors in the TV show – a bit of a change of pace.

"The funny thing is we talked about me playing characters at the very beginning,” he told du Plessis-Allan. 

“We talked about it, but it just turned, like, as soon as you do the kind of maths, it’s the logistics, it’s too bonkers.”  

While he’s no longer behind the wheel for every character, Sainsbury is very happy with how actors such as Morgana O’Reilly have replicated them.  

“They’ve gone above and beyond.”  

LISTEN ABOVE  

Tom Sainsbury is back in our ears, and he’ll soon be on our screens too.&nbsp;
Season three of the Kiwi comedian’s one-man murder mystery series has just released, but it’s actually season one that’s about to make the headlines.&nbsp;
The first season of his ‘Small Town Scandal’ podcast has been turned into an eight episode TV series, releasing in February next year.&nbsp;
It’s the biggest project Sainsbury’s done to date, but he revealed to Heather du Plessis-Allan that he’s struggling a little bit to recognise just how big of a moment it is.&nbsp;
“When you’re kind of working on a TV show, it’s just such a long process,” he explained.&nbsp;
“When you kind of live with it, to the minutiae of watching every little bit of it, it doesn’t feel like a big moment.” &nbsp;
Unlike the podcast, in which Sainsbury voices every role, he’s performing alongside other actors in the TV show – a bit of a change of pace.
"The funny thing is we talked about me playing characters at the very beginning,” he told du Plessis-Allan.&nbsp;
“We talked about it, but it just turned, like, as soon as you do the kind of maths, it’s the logistics, it’s too bonkers.” &nbsp;
While he’s no longer behind the wheel for every character, Sainsbury is very happy with how actors such as Morgana O’Reilly have replicated them. &nbsp;
“They’ve gone above and beyond.” &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

Tom Sainsbury: Kiwi Comedian on season 3 of Small Town Scandal, the TV adaptation

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/eb717696-316c-4b5b-a064-b3b401568bfa/transcript

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 16th of December, how is Australia responding to the Bondi Beach terror attack, and what questions are being asked of the national intelligence network?  

Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce previews the HYEFU numbers and explains why it may not be the worst thing if the surplus is pushed out another year. 

Kiwi comedian Tom Sainsbury talks the new season of his podcast ‘Small Town Scandal’ and the first season being turned into a TV show. 

Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

LISTEN ABOVE  

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 16th of December, how is Australia responding to the <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/charles-croucher-9news-australia-correspondent-on-the-bondi-beach-shooting/">Bondi Beach terror attack</a>, and what questions are being asked of <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/michael-zekulin-australian-national-university-lecturer-on-how-the-bondi-beach-shooting-occurred/">the national intelligence network?</a> &nbsp;
<a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/steven-joyce-former-finance-minister-ahead-of-treasurys-half-year-economic-and-fiscal-update/">Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce</a> previews the HYEFU numbers and explains why it may not be the worst thing if the surplus is pushed out another year.&nbsp;
Kiwi comedian Tom Sainsbury talks the new season of his podcast ‘Small Town Scandal’ and the first season being turned into a TV show.&nbsp;
Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

Full Show Podcast: 16 December 2025 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/953759f1-c9a4-44c4-af38-b3b4014c8f26/transcript

Grant Webster: Tourism Holdings CEO on tourism numbers rising 6% in the year to October

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