Te Radar

In the course of his career Te Radar has dived with sharks, narrowly avoided a rabbit while racing a Formula 3 car at 200kph, plunged into the frozen Ross sea in only a skimpy pair of togs, interviewed Yassar Arafat under the watchful eye of gun-toting Palestinian soldiers, been stung in a rather awkward place by a scorpion, and become (unofficially) New Zealand’s worst television gardener. 

With a string of more official awards to his name, including the country’s highest accolades for comedy and television, he is one of New Zealand’s most recognized comedians and personalities. 

Witty, engaging and well-informed, Te Radar is a sought-after MC, panel moderator, keynote and after-dinner speaker, with an ability to knowledgeably host diverse events across the Agricultural, Engineering, Science, Media, Arts, Medical, Environmental and Academic sectors. 

Testimonials often mention his flexibility, authenticity, and compassion for the audience, as well as his willingness to think on his feet, handle unforeseen moments and ensure events flow smoothly.

A political and current affairs enthusiast, he’s provided a satirical review of the week on RNZ National’s Nine to Noon programme for more than 15 years, and won two Qantas Media awards for his New Zealand Herald columns. 

Documentary work has seen him travel to such exotic destinations as Kiribati, Rwanda, Cuba, Antarctica and Timbuktu.  Though he once convinced the UN to fly him to East Timor at the height of the conflict, Te Radar says his most dangerous feat was attempting to survive in a paddock north of Auckland for 8 months. The result was the top-rating TVNZ series Off the Radar. His subsequent book of the same name was adapted for radio by RNZ.

He returned to the screen and smaller-scale sustainability in Radar’s Patch, which won the Qantas award for Best Information/Lifestyle Programme. His television shows Radar Across the Pacific and Global Radar, both of which ran for two series, won Best Factual Series and Best Information Series respectively at the New Zealand Television Awards. 

In the theatre world he’s played the lead role of Mr Twit in Auckland Theatre Company’s production of Roald Dahl classic The Twits, and had the great pleasure of touring with the Royal NZ Ballet as the narrator in their production of Peter and the Wolf. He still maintains his rural roots, having been Event MC for the National Fieldays at Mystery Creek for 6years, and he is the current Compere and Quizmaster for the iconic FMG Young Farmer of the Year. He’s also patron of the New Zealand Galloway Cattle Association.  

His most recentTV series, Te Radar’s Chequered Past, screened to critical acclaim on TV One. Based on his popular stage show Eating the Dog, which has been performed more than 150 times and fundraised tens of thousands of dollars for small community organisations, it’s a celebration of some of the most colourful characters from New Zealand history. 

In 2018 he received an honorary Master of Arts degree from Wintec for his contribution to Media and Entertainment.