New Zealand Pocket Radio is a grassroots podcast network located in Woodhill, New Zealand and with a focus on local programming, oral history and human-interest podcasts.
We hope that you enjoy the podcasts and look forward to hearing your feedback. If you have a great story to tell or an idea for a podcast, please leave a comment or send us an email.
Happy listening!
After a few months of back and forth, I recently sat down to talk with the estimable James Thomas. Based in Taipei, Taiwan, James is the host of the expatriate podcast, 4 Seas 1 Family, in which he and his guests explore the experiences of expats and how they adapt to their lives abroad.
In Episode 25: CONSCIOUSLY CONTRIBUTE, I talk to James about emigrating to New Zealand with a family of six, how English isn’t necessarily a common language and the importance of seeking friends and committing to your community.
James is a gracious, funny and inquisitive host and his shows are the kind of resource that I wished for when we were planning our relocation. I really enjoyed our discussion as you can hear from the chuckles and laughter, so hopefully, we can pick up the conversation again one day.
You can find James and 4 Seas 1 Family at:
twitter: @4seas1family
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wdevn.tv/
Today’s episode, A Step Towards Another Life, is the last in the present series – and provides a taste of what is coming in the next. When we return later in the year, we will be back with a new series. Based on a blog called ‘Looking For No.8 Wire’, the series takes a personal look at just what it takes to leave everything behind to emigrate and begin again on the other side of the world.
Canary Wharf from Mudchute Farm, an oasis in the inner city.
Limehouse Link – just part of a daily 50 mile commute across London
Leaving London for New Zealand
Canadian blogger and photographer Ian McKenzie can be found here and this is the blog post he was commenting on. The Complete Book of Self Sufficiency by John Seymour (now updated and revised) is a classic which is both instructive and fun to read; a well-thumbed copy still sits in the bookshelves in our kitchen.
Dad’s Diary is just that – a selection of journal entries and blog posts written by a husband of one and father of four at some point over the last 20 years. In that time, the family has grown up and moved half way round the world, leaving the inner city for a small farm 12,000 miles away.
Thank you to everyone who is downloading and listening to Dad’s Diary; it is a labour of love and it’s great to know folk are out there listening to it. If you enjoy the show, please share it with your freinds and family. We’d love to hear your feedback, so feel free to contact us at the New Zealand Pocket Radio website, Facebook page, Twitter feed or at nzprpodcasts@gmail.com to let us know what you think.
If you fancy visiting or staying with us, you’ll find us at Hillside B&B or the Hillside B&B Facebook page.
Today’s episode, Ordinary People & Terrorism – part 2, is the second of two that draw on various blog posts I wrote about two terrorist attacks in London, those carried out by the IRA in February 1996 and Al Qaeda in July 2005, just before we left London for New Zealand.
My picture, just hours after the bombing – the 28th of 18,000+ posted at We’re Not Afraid.
Outside our apartment – the 1996 IRA bomb at South Quay was just beyond the trees in the background – from BBC4’s ‘We’re Not Afraid’ documentary.
Walking past South Quay Plaza, the site of the 1996 IRA bomb – from BBC4’s ‘We’re Not Afraid’ documentary.
9 February 996 Docklands bombing
Dad’s Diary is just that – a selection of journal entries and blog posts written by a husband of one and father of four at some point over the last 20 years. In that time, the family has grown up and moved half way round the world, leaving the inner city for a small farm 12,000 miles away.
Thank you to everyone who is downloading and listening to Dad’s Diary; it is a labour of love and it’s great to know folk are out there listening to it. If you enjoy the show, please share it with your freinds and family. We’d love to hear your feedback, so feel free to contact us at the New Zealand Pocket Radio website, Facebook page, Twitter feed or at nzprpodcasts@gmail.com to let us know what you think.
If you fancy visiting or staying with us, you’ll find us at Hillside B&B or the Hillside B&B Facebook page.
Today’s episode, Ordinary People & Terrorism, is the first of two and draws on various blog posts I wrote about two terrorist attacks in London, those carried out by the IRA in February 1996 and Al Qaeda in July 2005, just before we left London for New Zealand. While there are no graphic details, it deals with content that may be upsetting for some.
9 February 996 Docklands bombing
Dad’s Diary is just that – a selection of journal entries and blog posts written by a husband of one and father of four at some point over the last 20 years. In that time, the family has grown up and moved half way round the world, leaving the inner city for a small farm 12,000 miles away.
Thank you to everyone who is downloading and listening to Dad’s Diary; it is a labour of love and it’s great to know folk are out there listening to it. If you enjoy the show, please share it with your freinds and family. We’d love to hear your feedback, so feel free to contact us at the New Zealand Pocket Radio website, Facebook page, Twitter feed or at nzprpodcasts@gmail.com to let us know what you think.
If you fancy visiting or staying with us, you’ll find us at Hillside B&B or the Hillside B&B Facebook page.
Dad’s Diary is just that – a selection of journal entries and blog posts written by a husband of one and father of four at some point over the last 20 years. In that time, the family has grown up and moved half way round the world, leaving the inner city for a small farm 12,000 miles away.
Today’s episode, The Midnight Snack, is a special treat for those who enjoyed last week’s walk around the farm. Once again, we’re heading out the back door but this time it’s midnight as we head off to meet a hungry little fella in the moonlight.
Pip (left) the rejected lamb with Mum and brother
Pip guzzling his midnight feed.
Thank you to everyone who is downloading and listening to Dad’s Diary; it is a labour of love and it’s great to know folk are out there listening to it. If you enjoy the show, please share it with your freinds and family. We’d love to hear your feedback, so feel free to contact us at the New Zealand Pocket Radio website, Facebook page, Twitter feed or at nzprpodcasts@gmail.com to let us know what you think.
If you fancy visiting or staying with us, you’ll find us at Hillside B&B or the Hillside B&B Facebook page.
Dad’s Diary is just that – a selection of journal entries and blog posts written by a husband of one and father of four at some point over the last 20 years. In that time, the family has grown up and moved half way round the world, leaving the inner city for a small farm 12,000 miles away.
Today’s podcast, Lambing Season, is a longer episode – an outside broadcast as we take a walk around the farm and meet this season’s new arrivals. Be sure to come back next week for a bonus late night episode from the home paddock!
TJ, Clover and Saffron
Stewie the lamb liberated from the tomo (sinkhole)
Abby the dog
The bonfire pit
The feedstore
Pip (left) the rejected lamb
Hillside B&B – our rural farmstay business (you can see more pictures on our Facebook page)
Kahu (harrier hawk)
Reweti Marae (the local Māori meeting house and community)
Dad’s Diary is just that – a selection of journal entries and blog posts written by a husband of one and father of four at some point over the last 20 years. In that time, the family has grown up and moved half way round the world, leaving the inner city for a small farm 12,000 miles away.
Today’s podcast, Dad and Daughter DIY, is the conclusion of a two-part story from our experiences living in rural New Zealand.
The well-worn playhouse
The cleaned-up chook house en route its new location
Hoisting and siting the chook house
The third attempt got it level and stable
The finished Palais de Poulet – outside
The finished Palais de Poulet – inside
‘Men Came Voyaging’ by Colleen M. Sheffield
Te rohe o Ngāti Whātua – Ngāti Whātua iwi area
Dad’s Diary is just that – a selection of journal entries and blog posts written by a husband of one and father of four at some point over the last 20 years. In that time, the family has grown up and moved half way round the world, leaving the inner city for a small farm 12,000 miles away.
The first three podcasts in this series provided a glimpse of our old life in inner-city London. Today’s podcast, Henhouse and Heritage, is the first of a two-parter that balances those episodes with a story from our present life in rural New Zealand.
The well-worn playhouse
The cleaned-up chook house en route its new location
Hoisting and siting the chook house
The third attempt got it level and stable
The finished Palais de Poulet – outside
The finished Palais de Poulet – inside
Local history books
‘Men Came Voyaging’ by Colleen M. Sheffield
Te rohe o Ngāti Whātua – Ngāti Whātua iwi area
New Zealand Pocket Radio went live on iTunes earlier this week, so now you can subscribe and listen to each show as soon as it is available.
It’s easy to find us; simply search the iTunes store for ‘new zealand pocket radio‘ and you’ll find all our shows and podcast episodes right alongside some equally good ones from Radio New Zealand, our national broadcaster. Our latest episode is the concluding part of a short three-part story in the Dad’s Dairy series, in which two kittens join the family.
For regular updates and behind the scenes extras, please take a second to follow us on the New Zealand Pocket Radio Facebook page.
Dad’s Diary is just that – a selection of journal entries and blog posts written by a husband of one and father of four at some point over the last 20 years. In that time, the family has grown up and moved half way round the world, leaving the inner city for a small farm 12,000 miles away.
Today’s story, The Kittens Have Landed is the third in a short series of three – about patience, pester power and pets.
Show notes
Sadly, young Jasper fell victim to a speeding motorist in London and Freddie, who had been bridesmaid at our wedding, passed away before we emigrated. Tillie, however, made the journey to New Zealand (along with a couple of other cats) for a further ten happy years before dying a few months back.
Jasper
Tillie
Freddie
New Zealand Pocket Radio 
