The Upside

Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Pub pays for footballs club's success Nottingham Forest are defying expectations this year in the English Premier...

Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Small town benefits from highway closure I've always been a little perplexed by the need to create bypasses on our...

Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Kiwi classic gets rough treatment Obviously we all have different tastes when it comes to food and we don't all like...

Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Kiwi striker is the real deal The English Premier League is arguably the most difficult football league in the world...

New Year Promise Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. As 2024 draws to a close it's time to both look back and to look forward. New Year is that special...

Scooters, cash and treasure - taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. This will be the last installment of Good News NZ for a few weeks, as we redesign the...

Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Haka world record claimed at huge event at Eden Park Last weekend over 6,500 people took part in a mass haka that...

Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Daylight savings starts this weekend This Sunday clocks go forward an hour and we begin a period of daylight savings...

Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Cat tries to escape 'diet centre' In Russia, a rather portly feline named Kroshik, or Crumbs, had had enough of the...

Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Tom Cruise 'performs' at Olympics closing ceremony for free Sure, he's one of the richest actors on the planet and may...

Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer.  Boy who breaks ancient museum exhibit gets to see it restored We've all done it - accidentally smashing something of...

Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Historic baseball jersey sold for astronomical price  News from the United States this week reveals that a baseball...

Looking back over the past weeks and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. Anonymous benefactor brightens strangers' lives A lovely heartwarming tale of faceless generosity opens this weeks...

Looking back over the past weeks and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. We all lose when tech giants get a free hand  In the past few weeks our two major broadcasters have announced cuts...

Looking back over the past weeks and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. Dad found in the bush after son's gut feeling and help from a goat This one is a real beaut. 72 year old Brent...

Looking back over the past weeks and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. The buck sotps here Making mistakes on the job isn't always the end of the world and this one at least raised a few...

Looking back over the past weeks and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. Sterling effort from firefighters battling Port Hills blazes Only seven years ago the Port Hills in Christchurch...

Looking back over the past weeks and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. Feat given record status, finally You spend seven years knocking together a faithful reproduction of Paris' Eiffel...

Looking back over the past weeks and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.  Heartwarming tale of generous stranger You're working in your garden, minding your own business and some randomer...

Looking back over the past weeks and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.  We need to question the traffic management rort. An recent article in the New Zealand Herald made me realise that...

Looking back over the past weeks and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.  'Theft' grey area makes for a ripping yarn Laying waste to the well established schoolyard maxim of 'finders...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.  Huge spider a big boon for science I know loads of people are terrified of our arachnid pals and even the thought of...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. Incredible aversion of what could have been a total disaster We've been hearing for years that flying has become...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.   New Year's Eve - the big carnival As I write this I can hear the din from a few neighbourhood day before New Year's...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.   Some things are so mad that they may just be great Nothing beats a quirky food or beverage 'invention' and this one...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.  With Christmas a week and a half away - this week's reviews are all related to our favourite holiday. Christmas...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. Maybe get a garden gnome? Some people love quirky ornaments or sculptures to enliven their garden spaces but a couple...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. Not all heroes wear capes Each week I send hours looking for appropriate stories to review and I have to admit, it...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. Rules are rules, but sometimes clemency is the right move If you've ever watched the Kiwi version of Border Patrol,...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. Coalition talks drag on and on and on It's a month ago that we went to the polls and cast our votes in the general...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.  Band that no longer exists releases new single Music and pop culture icons from the 1960s utilise cutting edge...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. The Garden City I've lived in Auckland for 18 years and a few weeks ago I took mock offence when someone called me a...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead - to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. All Blacks can set new record How strange it is that in a few days the All Blacks will be competing against one of...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead - to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. Protecting our vulnerable I've talked about his before but I have recently been reminded that changing technologies...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead - to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. Moronic vandals in UK try to kill famous tree Sometimes you read things online that just stop you in your tracks...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead - to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.  Spring - a real beaut! I love Spring. It is by far my favourite season and after a challenging winter that felt as...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead - to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. How about honest prices at our airports? When I went to Sydney a week ago I packed a good number of Whittaker's...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead - to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.  The Warriors take to the Knights to advance toward final I'm no league expert...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead - to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. Google needs to play fair Last week I said we would look at overseas companies doing all they can to avoid paying...

Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead - to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. It's time to focus on supporting local Kiwi businesses NoCowboys is a 100% New Zealand owned, operated, and located...