Bruce Munro

Most serious crime committed by young people is the work of a small high-risk group. But those at the coal-face say young offenders, and their victims, are on a hiding to nothing until their communities accept responsibility and the Government stops undermining those trying to help, writes Bruce Munro.

Internet use and connected devices are proliferating, but so too are the casualties. With internet addiction about to be listed as a probable mental illness, Bruce Munro discovers lessons that could help us all in this brave new online world.

Pursuing love in Melbourne can be a splendid, frenetic and occasionally dangerous obsession. You might as well make it easier on yourself by doing the hard yards on a bicycle, writes Bruce Munro.

In Athol Parks' Dunedin the whole city is an art gallery in which buildings whisper their secrets and footpaths bustle with everyone who has ever lived here. Bruce Munro joined one of Mr Parks' City Walks inner-city tours before next week's Dunedin Heritage Festival.

New Zealand needs a cultural mindshift if it wants to see more young people pursuing careers in science, Dr Tim Molteno believes.

Many of us have become largely disconnected from nature and seasons, life coach Brian Johnston says.

It is autumn. Harvest time. A season and event with which many of us have little connection. But Bruce Munro discovers an initiative to harvest often-neglected urban fruit trees as a means to reconnect people with local food, traditional skills, nature and each other.

Volunteer firefighting is under pressure, a report which could precipitate the biggest shake-up of the New Zealand Fire Service in 50 years says. Bruce Munro tags along with Regan Soper, of the Ravensbourne Volunteer Fire Brigade, to record a week in the life of one of New Zealand's 12,000 volunteer firefighters.

Ralph Hotere was an artist of international repute with a career spanning more than five decades. But he was also a resident of a particular location, Port Chalmers. This week Bruce Munro talked to some of those who knew him as ''just Ralph''.