Conor Whitten

May 11, 2024 | 1news.co.nz | Conor Whitten

The 2021 murder of Lena Zhang Harrap appalled New Zealand – a vulnerable victim, abused and killed on a spring day just 20 minutes from home. A day earlier, another young Auckland woman enjoying exercise alone narrowly escaped the same man. SUNDAY reporter Conor Whitten reports on Lena’s life, her death and the bond that has formed between Lena's mother and the woman who escaped her killer. On the way to the summit of Auckland’s Mount Albert is a short walkway through a thicket of bush.

Nov 4, 2023 | 1news.co.nz | Conor Whitten

The tourists are back in bigger numbers than ever but behind the beauty, boutiques and big business, hardworking Kiwis live in cars and tents. Sunday’s Conor Whitten meets the faces of Queenstown's housing crisis – with good jobs, good incomes and nowhere to call home. Tyler Tipene, 24 – Construction WorkerAt the foot of Bob’s Peak in central Queenstown is one of the best views on Earth. As the sun sets across Lake Wakatipu, the snow-capped Remarkables gleam in gold.

Nov 4, 2023 | 1news.co.nz | Conor Whitten

The tourists are back in bigger numbers than ever but behind the beauty, boutiques and big business, hardworking Kiwis live in cars and tents. Sunday’s Conor Whitten meets the faces of Queenstown's housing crisis – with good jobs, good incomes and nowhere to call home. Tyler Tipene, 24 – Construction WorkerAt the foot of Bob’s Peak in central Queenstown is one of the best views on Earth. As the sun sets across Lake Wakatipu, the snow-capped Remarkables gleam in gold.

Oct 14, 2023 | 1news.co.nz | Conor Whitten

They power everything from phones to laptops, toothbrushes to cars, e-scooters and bikes. Lithium-ion batteries are all around us. But their convenience comes at a cost, reports Sunday's Conor Whitten. "The one I had blew up and almost killed me," Adam Clayton said. It's been two and a half months since an e-scooter caught fire in his Wellington apartment but it'll be years before he’s recovered. "It’s a full-time job," said Clayton. "For the next 20 months to two years.""It just exploded. Like a bomb.

Sep 9, 2023 | 1news.co.nz | Conor Whitten

Victoria University's theatre programme has produced many of New Zealand's best and brightest. But that history is now under threat. It's a crisis for the programme, the arts industry — and the nation as a whole. Before Outrageous Fortune, Lord of the Rings and Shortland Street, Robyn Malcolm was a young aspiring actress — with a plan to make it big. It began with enrolling at New Zealand drama school Toi Whakaari. There was only one problem. She didn't get in.