There are $40 million worth of McLarens. Here are seven sharp. TONIGHT ` SHE SUFFERED THE MOST HORRIFIC ATTACK. THIS TOOK SEVEN WHACKS, ACCORDING TO MY SURGEONS, TO COME OFF. BUT NOW ONE OF ANTONIE DIXON'S VICTIMS IS STANDING UP FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T. IT'S SO EMBARRASSING TO BE BEATEN UP; IT'S SO SHAMEFUL. PLUS ` I'VE NEVER SEE SO MANY MCLARENS IN ONE PLACE. AND THEY'VE ALL GATHERED TO CELEBRATE ONE SPECIAL BLOKE. ALSO TONIGHT ` # DAYDREAM BELIEVER AND A... THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE MONKEES' SUCCESS. WE JUST CAUGHT LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE. DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF 'SEVEN SHARP', WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. Good evening. A bit of a musical show for you this evening. SO, VERY SAD NEWS LATE THIS AFTERNOON THAT RAY COLUMBUS HAD PASSED AWAY. # SHE'S A MOD. SHE'S A MOD. YEAH, YEAH. SHE'S A MOD. SHE'S A MOD. # SHE WON'T CHANGE ANY MORE. (SCREECHES) his success is enduring. He was just before my time. You were at the blue Light disco in 1989, playing she's a mod. He was a great dancer. I did not realise ` remember the group Zedd? He was their promoter. He was a lovely lovely bloke. All our thoughts are with his family tonight. MOVING ON, IT'S A NAME MOST OF US WILL REMEMBER ` ANTONIE DIXON. IN 2003, HIGH ON P, DIXON VICIOUSLY ATTACKED SIMONNE BUTLER AND RENEE GUNBIE WITH A SAMURAI SWORD BEFORE GOING ON TO MURDER A STRANGER. THE TWO WOMEN WERE LEFT WITH HORRIFIC INJURIES. SIMONNE BUTLER WAS ALSO DIXON'S LONG-TERM PARTNER, AND SHE SAYS, BEFORE THE ATTACK, SHE'D SUFFERED YEARS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE. SHE KEPT IT QUIET, BECAUSE THAT WAS JUST WHAT YOU DID, BUT NOW SHE'S FULLY HEALED, SIMONNE WANTS THAT CULTURE TO CHANGE. SHE SPOKE TO GILL HIGGINS. MELLOW MUSIC MY LIFE IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL, AND I THINK THAT HUMANS HAVE THIS AMAZING CAPACITY TO HEAL. SIMONNE BUTLER'S HAD TO HEAL FAR MORE THAN MOST AFTER THIS HORRIFIC ATTACK. ARCHIVE: ...HUNTING A SWORD-WIELDING ATTACKER. THE ALL-NIGHT DRAMA THAT'S LEFT TWO WOMEN MUTILATED... IT WAS SUCH UNBRIDLED RAGE. SO I PUT MY HANDS UP TO PROTECT MY HEAD. THIS TOOK SEVEN WHACKS, ACCORDING TO MY SURGEONS, TO COME OFF. BUT THAT WAS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. THERE'D BEEN ABUSE FOR YEARS. TOWARDS THE END, THE VIOLENCE WAS PROBABLY WEEKLY. IT'S HARD TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU'RE CONTINUALLY BEING PUNCHED IN THE HEAD OR SLAMMED INTO WALLS. THERE WAS A LOT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE, AND FOR ME, I FOUND THAT HARDER. YOU START TO BELIEVE THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TOLD ` 'YOU'RE THICK. YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT. YOU'RE SO USELESS.' A QUESTION I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD FAR TOO OFTEN ` BUT WHY DIDN'T YOU LEAVE? BECAUSE HE WAS THREATENING THE PEOPLE THAT I LOVED. YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO GET HURT BECAUSE OF ME, AND AGAIN, WITH MY FAMILY AND WITH MY FRIENDS, LIKE, I FELT LIKE MY LIFE DIDN'T MATTER, AND SO I COULD TAKE IT, AND I WAS PROTECTING EVERYBODY ELSE. SHE PAID A HEFTY PRICE. HER HANDS WERE MIRACULOUSLY SAVED BY YEARS OF SURGERY. THEY DON'T WORK LIKE YOURS DO, BUT THEY WORK WELL ENOUGH FOR ME. # SHE JUST WANTS TO BE BEAUTIFUL. SHE GOES... HER MIND AND SPIRIT WERE REVIVED AFTER FINDING NATURAL THERAPIES. SHE'S NOW A THERAPIST HERSELF. EVERYTHING THAT I'VE LEARNT AND EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED I'M USING TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN. BUT THIS INCREDIBLE TRANSFORMATION MEANS THERE'S EVEN MORE SHE CAN GIVE. I'M GOOD NOW, LIKE` I'M BAWLING MY EYES OUT HERE, BUT I'M GOOD; I'M HEALED; I LOVE MYSELF, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY WOMEN RIGHT NOW THAT ARE STILL STUCK (SNIFFLES) IN THESE REALLY HORRIBLE, TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS, AND SO WHAT I WANT TO DO IS TO HELP CHANGE THIS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CULTURE THAT WE HAVE, AND IF I CAN DO THAT BY SHARING MY STORY, THEN THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. SO, YOU TALK A LOT ABOUT JUDGEMENT. WHY IS THAT SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE? IT'S SO EMBARRASSING TO BE BEATEN UP; IT'S SO SHAMEFUL. IF YOU WANT TO COME FORWARD AND SAY, 'HEY, THIS HAPPENING TO ME, AND I NEED HELP,' THEN, UM... AND IF ALL YOU GET GREETED WITH IS JUDGEMENT AND CONTEMPT AND SHAME, THEN NOBODY'S GONNA COME FORWARD. TO START THE CONVERSATION, SHE'S PUT HER TERRIBLE, COLOURFUL LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE. YOU DIDN'T HOLD BACK? NO, WELL, I FIGURED THOSE PARTS WHEN I REALLY STRIP MYSELF BARE, THOSE ARE THE PARTS THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA RESONATE WITH. TONY'S NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THERE ARE MEN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY JUST LIKE HIM. THEY MIGHT NOT BE CRAZY ON P, BUT THEY ARE JUST AS VIOLENT AND JUST AS MANIPULATIVE AND JUST AS CONTROLLING. ANTONIE DIXON DIED IN PRISON IN 2009. SIMONNE'S FREE OF HIS CONTROL. HER LOVE OF HORSES WAS THE FINAL FIX SHE NEEDED. THAT HAS BEEN THE LAST LITTLE PART OF MY HEALING JOURNEY. NOW IT'S ABOUT HELPING OTHERS, AND WITH THAT COMES PEACE. WELL, I'VE FOUND MY TRUE PURPOSE, AND THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN THAT. # WE'RE STARS, AND WE'RE BEAUTIFUL. # What a powerful message. How often do you hear about the threats that keep people there? IF YOU'RE LIKE ME AND LOVE A NICE CAR, KEEP WATCHING. THIS WILL HAVE YOUR TONGUE (CHUCKLES) DRAGGING ON THE GROUND ` $40M WORTH OF MCLARENS, WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION ` WHAT DO YOU CALL A COLLECTIVE OF MCLARENS? THE ANSWER FOR YOU SHORTLY. PLUS ` TURNING A HOBBY INTO A MAJOR MONEYMAKER. WE'RE ALL MAKING AROUND $20,000 TO $40,000 A YEAR. AND YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT THESE VIDEO GAMERS HAD TO HIRE TO GET TO THE TOP OF THEIR GAME. ALSO ` YOU KNOW YOU'RE FAMOUS WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I HEAR PEOPLE SCREAMING AND RUNNING AT ME. BUT MICKY FROM THE MONKEES COULDN'T QUITE BELIEVE IT. I THOUGHT IT WAS A FIRE. RAY COLUMBUS AND THE INVADERS' 'SHE'S A MOD' My understanding was that she is a mod was much earlier then till we kissed. I thought she's the mod was their sixth or seventh song. I'm sure many people will correct me in just a moment. SO, PICTURE THIS, YOU'VE GOT 30-ODD MCLAREN SUPERCARS ` MORE THAN $40M WORTH ` ALL RIDING THE INTERISLAND FERRY TODAY, AND SOMEONE ACCIDENTALLY BUMPS ONE. SIRENS BLARE APPARENTLY IT WAS A ROUGH SAILING, TOO. Do you only have to touch it and it goes off? It's a motion thing. Not really. They should not have locked the damp things. THE SUPERCARS ARE HERE FOR SOMETHING CALLED THE MCLAREN EPIC TOUR. THEY TRAVEL FROM AUCKLAND TO QUEENSTOWN IN THE LAND OF THEIR NAMESAKE, KIWI MOTORSPORT LEGEND BRUCE MCLAREN. MICHAEL HOLLAND SPENT THE DAY GAPING AT THEM IN TAUPO. POP MUSIC THAT'S UNBELIEVABLE, MAN. MUSIC CONTINUES YOU'RE NOT TOUCHING THAT, ARE YOU? OH, NAH. DEFINITELY NOT, SORRY. BE IT CONSPICUOUS WEALTH OR PRICEY PASSION,... A LITTLE BIT OUT OF MY PAY GRADE. A LITTLE BIT. ...THEY COMMAND RECOGNITION... BRUCE MCLAREN. YES, LEGENDARY. ...AND DELIGHTFUL, WIDE-EYED WONDER. I SAID TO MY NANA, 'DRIVE UP, DRIVE UP! WE JUST HAVE GOT TO SEE ALL 'THESE CARS. IT'S A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY.' I'VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY MCLARENS IN ONE PLACE. POP MUSIC CONTINUES WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION ` WHAT DO YOU CALL A COLLECTIVE OF MCLARENS? A MASQUERADE, A MARCH OF MCLARENS, OR JUST BLOODY AWESOME? FUNKY MUSIC MORE THAN $40M WORTH OF SLEEK AND SLIPPERY CRUISING THE LENGTH OF THE COUNTRY THAT GAVE BIRTH TO THE MAN AND THE MOTORSPORT PEDIGREE THAT HAS BECOME A FAST-ACCELERATING ROAD CAR PHENOMENON. ROCK MUSIC TO SEE THEM, TO HEAR THEM, THEY COME ALIVE. IT'S NOT A CAR; TO SEE THEM, TO HEAR THEM, THEY COME ALIVE. IT'S NOT A CAR; IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS? SEXY. BOTH LAUGH 13-YEAR-OLD MCLAREN OBSESSIVE RILEY AND HIS POOCH, NAMED ` YOU GOT IT ` MCLAREN, HAD PLANNED TO WAVE FROM THE ROADSIDE AS THEY PURRED PAST, BUT WE THOUGHT HE DESERVED MORE. THE LIGHTS KINDA LOOK LIKE THE LOGO OF THE KIWI HOW IT COMES OVER AND THEN DOWN, LIKE THE BEAK AND THE FOOT. CASHED-UP AUSSIE BUSINESSMAN ADRIAN HAS TWO OF THESE BABIES. THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. BUT THE ALMOST $900,000 HE PAID FOR HIS NEWEST, NOT THE BIGGEST ISSUE. THE HARDEST PART WAS CHOOSING THE COLOUR. FOR ME, THESE ARE WORKS OF ART. I CAN SIT IN A CAR AND EAT MY LUNCH, YOU KNOW, NOT EVEN START IT UP. I WOULDN'T WANT THEM TO OVERHEAR US SAYING THIS, BUT I THINK THAT ONE IS THE UGLY ONE. (CHUCKLES) 1994. 1994, SO ONE OF THE EARLIER ONES? YEAH. MORE ON THE F1 SOON, BUT FIRST THERE'S A RIDE TO BE HAD WITH FORMER FORMULA ONE DRIVER BRUNO SENNA, NEPHEW OF THE LATE AYRTON SENNA. CALVIN HARRIS' 'MY WAY' (CHUCKLES HAPPILY) IT WAS AMAZING. I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW FAST WE WENT. YOU GET PUSHED BACK IN THE SEAT? YEAH, YEAH, WAY BACK IN THE SEAT. IT'S MY SECOND MCLAREN. AM I ALLOWED TO SAY I WENT IN TO BUY A FERRARI? (CHUCKLES) THIS IS ALMOST LIKE THE NEW AGE LOVE BUG 53. I LOVE DRIVING THIS THING. IT'S JUST MAGIC. SHALL WE CALL IT THE MCLOVE BUG? THE MCLOVE BUG, YEAH. YEAH, YOU CAN` LAUGHTER NOW, BACK TO THE F1 ` THE ONE I'M NOT SO FOND OF. SOMEONE TOLD ME IT'S WORTH... JUST OVER $20M. BOTH LAUGH AS FOR NUMBER 53, SADLY IT'S A BIT OF A FAIL WHEN IT COMES TO THE OTHER HALF. FIONA'S BEEN IN IT A COUPLE OF TIMES. IT'S JUST NOT HER THING. FIONA, GO FOR A RIDE. IT'S CALLED THE LOVE BUG. (LAUGHS) AND HUBBY DOES LOVE YOU. APPARENTLY, YEAH. BUT THE LAST WORD GOES TO LIVEWIRE BRADLEY, WHO SPOTTED THE MCLARENS BY CHANCE... ENGINE ROARS HEAR THAT? THAT IS WHAT I WANT. ...AND RILEY, WHO'S BEEN BESOTTED FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE. LOVE THEM. LOVE THEM TO PIECES. LOVE THEM, YEP. JAUNTY MUSIC Verybody loves a car. WE buy more McLarens than anywhere in the world. They are now very very successful. I think I'm right in saying they are an independent company, which is very rare in the world today. They are fantastically successful. since 2011, they have sold 10,000 of these globally. Do you know who loves the McLaren? Ronan Keating. He is a massive collector. THEY INSIST THEY'RE ATHLETES ` THEY PLAY, THEY WIN, THEY GET PAID. SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VIDEO GAMERS AND, SAY, THE ALL BLACKS? WELL, JUST LIKE THE A.B.S, THEY NEED TO TRAIN AND THEY NEED TO SPEND TIME WITH THEIR COACH. YES, WE HAVE COACHES FOR VIDEO GAMERS, AND IT TURNS OUT IT'S PAYING DIVIDENDS. TIM WILSON EXPLAINS. DRAMATIC ACTION MUSIC MORE YOUNG GUYS WASTING THEIR LIVES IN A DARKENED ROOM PLAYING VIDEO GAMES, RIGHT? GUYS WITH PROBLEMS. LOOK, THIS GUY HERE HAS A PROBLEM. I GET CAUGHT RELOADING MY WEAPON A LOT. ELECTRONIC MUSIC GETTING CAUGHT, OR GETTING SHOT, IS TROUBLE... BECAUSE THESE BROS ARE THE PROS. I'M REEF, ALSO KNOWN AS EMINENCE. MY NAME IS GUY, ALSO KNOWN AS GUYDRA. MY NAME IS RYAN, ALSO KNOWN AS KILLER PIE. ALL AND WE'RE SLICER. THE TOP TEAM IN THE LAND, SLICER PLAYS VIRTUAL GAMES AND EARNS REAL MONEY. THIS YEAR WAS OUR FIRST BIG YEAR, WHERE, YOU KNOW, US, WE WERE MAKING AROUND $20,000 TO $40,000 A YEAR. AND THEY WANT TO BE LIKE FAKER ` THAT'S HIM HOLDING THE BROCCOLI ` WHO EARNS MILLIONS A YEAR. ESPORTS, AS IT'S CALLED, IS GROWING IN NZ. WE'RE ALREADY ECLIPSING YOUR TRADITIONAL SPORTS IN THE WAY OF RATINGS ` BASKETBALL, HOCKEY, NETBALL. SO IT'S GOING VERY VERY WELL. NETBALLERS HAVE COACHES, AND SO, NOW, DO VIDEO GAMERS. SO, GUYS, MAKE SURE YOU KEEP USING THOSE UTILITIES. TRAINING HELPS US WHEN WE GO INTO THE BIG MATCHES LIKE AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. AND COACH JONNY KNOWS HOW TO PUT THE BOUNCE IN A TEAM; HE'S A TRAMPOLINING CHAMP. I'VE BEEN TO AUSTRALIA THREE TIMES FOR THEIR NATIONALS AND TAKEN A COUPLE OF MEDALS OFF THEM. WHICH IS WHY THE TRAINING REGIME HAS SOME PHYSICAL ASPECTS... NICE LITTLE WRIST WARM-UP. ...AND, UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE SKULL, A LOT OF MENTAL STRENGTHENING, OR SITTING AROUND AND TALKING ABOUT STRATEGY. HE KEPT GOING INTO SITUATIONS WHERE ENEMIES COULD HIT HIM WHILE HE WAS RELOADING, SO HE COULDN'T HIT THEM BACK, AND HE JUST KEPT DYING. SURE, IT'S NOT EXACTLY LIKE THIS,... SO VERY VERY PROUD OF OUR TEAM. ...BUT THE COMPARISONS ARE CLEAR. I LOVE WHAT STEVE HANSEN DOES. I'VE READ HIS BIOGRAPHY, AND I'VE WATCHED SOME OF HIS TALKS AT COACHING CONFERENCES. THANKS TO THE COACHING, REEF SEEMS TO BE GETTING THE HANG OF RELOADING. I'VE WORKED ON IT A LOT, AND I'VE FOUND THAT I DON'T DO IT AS MUCH ANY MORE. YOU HAPPY ABOUT THAT? > I AM, YEAH. I DON'T LIKE DYING. IN VIDEO GAMES, LIVING MEANS WINNING, AND NO MATTER WHAT THE SPORT, WINNERS ARE GRINNERS. YES! They all seem to need a Flash chair. That is like your vehicle. I know people who are making a living on online poker. I knew online poker was a big thing. I think we can lay to rest once and for all that whole business that if you play videogames that you are a loser. I think that has been dispelled. It is a professional business. THERE'LL BE A CERTAIN PART OF OUR AUDIENCE TONIGHT THAT WERE ONCE CAUGHT UP IN 'MONKEE MANIA'. WHY DID IT LAST? NO ONE KNOWS. NEXT, WE RELIVE THE MEMORIES WITH ONE OF THE ORIGINAL MONKEES, MICKY DOLENZ. # THEN I SAW HER FACE. # NOW I'M A BELIEVER. # RAY COLUMBUS AND THE INVADERS' 'TILL WE KISSED' # TILL WE KISSED # I NEVER KNEW THE YEARS THAT I HAD WASTED. # TILL WE KISSED I just wonder that is a better song than she's a mod. 1965, I think you will find. THAT'S THE LATE RAY COLUMBUS AND THE INVADERS' 'TILL WE KISSED'. NOW, RAY WAS DEFINITELY A SMOOTH DUDE, WASN'T HE? THE CAMERAS JUST LOVED HIM. SO PROBABLY NOT TOO SURPRISING, THEN, THAT HE WAS ASKED TO AUDITION FOR THE MONKEES. IMAGINE THAT. SADLY, HE DECLINED THE OFFER SO WE'LL NEVER KNOW. BUT AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, THE BAND BEHIND SOME OF THE BIGGEST HITS OF THE '60S ` 'DAYDREAM BELIEVER', 'LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE', 'I'M A BELIEVER' ` ARE PLAYING IN CHRISTCHURCH TONIGHT. MIKE THORPE CAUGHT UP WITH ORIGINAL MONKEE MICKY DOLENZ AHEAD OF THEIR NZ DEBUT. HOW ARE YA? HI. I'M MIKE. MIKE? NICE TO MEET YOU. HI. THIS IS JASON. THIS IS KIRSTEN. AND THIS IS ME. THAT'S YOU. # HEY, HEY, WE'RE THE MONKEES! # AND PEOPLE SAY WE MONKEY AROUND. # FOR HALF A CENTURY MICKY DOLENZ HAS BEEN A MONKEE. MICKY, 50 YEARS. HA-HA! DOES IT FEELS LIKE 50 YEARS? (MOCK SOBS) YOU HAD TO BRING IT UP! ALONG WITH PETER TORK, MIKE NESMITH AND THE LATE DAVY JONES, THEY DOMINATED THE AIRWAVES ON TV AND RADIO. THE MONKEES WAS NOT A GROUP; IT WAS A TV SHOW ABOUT A GROUP THAT WANTED TO BE THE BEATLES, AND WANTING TO BE FAMOUS. ON THE TV SHOW WE NEVER WERE FAMOUS. IN REALITY, THEY WERE HUGE. WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE BIG? SO, THE SHOW AIRS ON SEPTEMBER THE 12TH '66. THE RECORD HAD ALREADY HIT THE CHARTS, CLARKSVILLE. AND WE ONLY KNEW THAT BECAUSE DAVY AND I WERE DRIVING HOME ONE DAY FROM WORK, HEARD IT ON THE RADIO, AND WE PULLED OVER AND WENT YEAH! THREE MONTHS LATER IT HIT HIM. ALL: MONKEE MEN! I JUMPED IN MY CAR WITH MY LITTLE CHRISTMAS LIST, AND I DROVE DOWN TO MY LOCAL MALL, AND I GO THROUGH THE GLASS DOORS, AND I HEAR PEOPLE SCREAMING AND RUNNING AT ME, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A FIRE. SO I HOLD OPEN THE DOOR AND I'M GOING, 'CALM DOWN, DON'T RUN!' AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I REALISE THAT ALL THESE KIDS AND PEOPLE ARE RUNNING AT ME. THE SHOW RAN FOR TWO SEASONS, FROM 1966 TO 1968. # HERE WE GO... # RUNNING DOWN THE STREET. # IT WAS 56 EPISODES, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. 58? 58 EPISODES. (LAUGHS) IN THOSE DAYS, YOU DID 26 A YEAR. THAT WAS A SEASON. WE WERE JUST GOING FLAT OUT. NO TIME FOR MUCH OF ANYTHING ELSE. EVERYBODY SAYS, 'BOY, I BET YOU GUYS PARTIED AND HAD A REALLY GOOD TIME.' NO! (LAUGHS) I WENT TO THE SET FOR 10 HOURS A DAY, RECORDING STUDIO FOR THREE HOURS AND WENT HOME AND COLLAPSED. BUT WHEN THE SHOW STOPPED, MONKEE MANIA CONTINUED. AUDIENCE SCREAMS WHY DID IT LAST? WHAT WAS IT ABOUT? NO ONE KNOWS. ONE OF THE PRODUCERS WAS ASKED ONCE YEARS LATER, 'WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THE SUCCESS?' HE SAID, 'WE JUST CAUGHT LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE.' 50 YEARS ON, THE SPARKS ARE STILL FLYING WITH A NEW ALBUM. I JUST FOUND OUT, JUST BEFORE I WALKED IN HERE, ROLLING STONE ANNOUNCED THEIR TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2016, AND WE'RE NUMBER 44. NOW ORIGINALS MICKY AND PETER TORK HAVE BROUGHT THE MONKEES TO NZ FOR THE FIRST TIME. I'M GOING TO FULFIL THAT CONTRACT WITH THE AUDIENCE; I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THEY GET WHAT THEY CAME FOR. THEY'RE GONNA GET I'M A BELIEVER, CLARKSVILLE, PLEASANT VALLEY SUNDAY, DAYDREAM BELIEVER, STEPPING STONE. ALL THOSE BIG HITS. EVEN AFTER 50 YEARS THEY GET A BUZZ FROM PERFORMING LIVE. WHEN THAT LICK GOES OFF ON CLARKSVILLE ` THE OPENING GUITAR LICK ` AND THE WHOLE CROWD ERUPTS,... GUITAR LICK ...IT'S HARD NOT TO ENJOY IT. # TAKE THE LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE # AND I'LL MEET YOU AT THE STATION. # They are the original X factor, American Idol. They are a manufactured band. Two seasons. The guy is still talking about it 50 years later. They are in Auckland tomorrow night. SO, THIS STAND-OFF AT RAINBOW'S END ` SHOULD THE RIDE HAVE BEEN STOPPED TO REMOVE THE STUDENTS WHO WERE ALLEGEDLY SPITTING ON OTHER PEOPLE? OR DO YOU AGREE WITH THE PRINCIPAL WHO'S FURIOUS AT THE WAY IT WAS HANDLED AND MAINTAINS THROUGH HIS STAFF AND STUDENTS THAT THE SPITTING NEVER OCCURRED. I'VE GOT A BIT OF SYMPATHY FOR BOTH SIDES HERE. IF THERE WAS SPITTING GOING ON, IT'S FILTHY AND YOU'D WANT TO YANK THEM OFF THE RIDE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I GET THAT. BUT GIVEN THE TUMULTUOUS YEAR IT'S BEEN FOR THEME PARKS, AND WITH THE DREAMWORLD TRAGEDY FRESH IN OUR MINDS, IN HINDSIGHT, SURELY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO WAIT UNTIL THE RIDE HAD FINISHED? LEAVING PEOPLE HANGING, NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON WAS ALWAYS GOING TO DRAW CRITICISM, REGARDLESS OF THE BEST INTENTIONS. SO, THE TALKBACK BUZZ TODAY WAS ABOUT THIS PHIL GOFF IDEA OF A TOURIST TAX. WE SHOULDN'T BE OVERLY BOTHERED BY THE CONCEPT. MOST PLACES ROUND THE WORLD HAVE A TAX OF SOME SORT, AND IT DOESN'T PUT PEOPLE OFF. 'OH, I WAS GOING TO NZ, BUT THAT 120 BUCKS IN ROOM CHARGES MEANS 'THAT TRIP OF A LIFETIME ISN'T HAPPENING (!)' THE WORRY ` IF THERE IS ONE ` IS THIS POWER-GRAB-TYPE ARRANGEMENT PHIL GOFF WANTS TO DRIVE WHEREBY CITIES DICTATE TERMS, NOT CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. FURTHER, GOFF WANTS THE TAX TO PROMOTE AUCKLAND ` DUMB IDEA. IF WE'RE GOING TO TAX, TAX TO BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE, TAX TO SUPPLY FACILITIES TO THE TOWNS ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY THAT ARE STRAINING UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THIS TOURISM BOOM WE'RE ENJOYING, TAX SO THE TOURISTS CAN HAVE A BETTER TIME AND COME BACK AGAIN, AND THAT IS ONLY DONE AT A NATIONAL LEVEL, NOT BY PEOPLE TRYING TO BUILD FIEFDOMS AS A RESULT OF THEIR OWN INTERESTS, NOT EVERYONE'S. GOODNIGHT. THE MONKEES' 'DAYDREAM BELIEVER' '1 NEWS' CAPTIONS BY CATHERINE DE CHALAIN AND GLENNA CASALME. 'SEVEN SHARP' CAPTIONS BY SHRUTIKA GUNANAYAGAM AND JESSICA BOELL. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2016