- By Sunrise host David Koch

 >> Mel's blog | Simon's blog | Beretts's blog | Nat's blog | Nelson's blog 

Uploaded 16 September, 2009 - At it like rabbits 

You've probably heard me mention the rabbit problem I have, when driving to work.

Turns out, there's a bit of a plague at the moment, even in our cities.

And the Rabbitscan site is helping scientists track them. (They're keeping the site open until the end of the September.)

We are currently 4000m above sea level. The trek has been extremely hard so far. We are slowly approaching the base camp before we summit. 

A few of the team are suffering mild altitude sickness with headaches, nausea and lethargy. 

The porters and guides keep us together, the true heroes of the mountain. 

Kili is now in full sight. The team is holding it together and we are all excited about the final days, but not sure if we'll all make it. (Watch video updates)

++ UPDATED 3.59pm 29 June 2009

This is one interview you will not want to miss - see it tomorrow morning (well, what we can show you). 

 

++ UPDATED 12.46pm 23 June 2009

Our producer Steph got some shots of us on location today at Parliament House.

I will try to blog about it later today. Right now, sleep.

Just a quick walk to get the blood moving.

Our sub-zero crew

About to interview an expert on email security

Our camera switcher, Dacien.

 

++ UPDATED 12.47pm 9 June 2009

Today on the show Pete Blasina came in to discuss the new iPhone model to be released shortly. I asked for your favourite iPhone applications and love what you provided. So, I thought I would list the ten best, so here goes. Scroll down for the list of apps I use the most. 

1. iSwap Faces - click the link for more info.
   Hi Kochie my favourite I Phone APS is iSwap Faces , its
   great fun for the whole family. To all the team , keep up the great
   work. Kind regards Tom Schamer (TAS)
2. Slappme
   Our favourite app is DrinkTracker which is an iPhone breathalyser (and developed in Australia). It’s only been out for a few days but has a heap of 5 star reviews in app store already. The website is www.slappme.com. Cheers, Greg & Chris.
3. TripView
   If you catch public transport in Sydney, then TripView is a MUST have
   for your iPhone. Timetables at your fingertips for getting around
   Sydney. There are no other cities that I am aware of just yet. Cheers, Dave.
4. Old Booth
   The best App I have found is called Old Booth, its a photo
   application where you add peoples faces to old hair styles, we spend
   hours laughing till we cry... Bec (NSW)
   
5. Auslan Tutor
   Has video dictionary to teach simple Australian Sign Language sentences for communicating with Deaf community. Designed as resource for parents of Deaf babies and children but useful for everyone. Helen (QLD)
   
6. Zippo Lighter
   My fav ipod app is the zippo ighter. You swing your ipod to the side 2 open da lighter and touch da creen 2 start da flame and turn your ipod which ever way u wont da
   flame 2 go From Bradley.
7. Oz Weather
   My favourite iPhone app is OZ weather.
   Unlike the weather app that comes with the phone, it give you weather to
   your postcode and an accurate weather update for the week. A great help!
   Amie from SA
8. Dictionary
   The Dictionary is free and easy to use to look up any words and has  a Thesaurus to tell you the definition. Michael P.
9. Epocrates
   Epocrates- drug & disease register, excellent resource tool. Via SMS.
10. Bubble Wrap
    A great I phone application is bubblewrap - you an pop bubble wrap on the iPhone it is amazing!!! Via SMS.

As for me, here are the apps I use the most on my iPhone.

• Bloomberg
• News.com
• FootyLive
• AroundMe
• Qantas
• ABC
• Whoopie

Glad to hear comments on my choices or other apps you know of and enjoy.

 

 

++ UPDATED 3.03pm April 25, 2009

How good is Mark Vincent, the young man who won Australia's Got Talent this week? He just blew us away.

Mind you, we're a bit biased because the producers of AGT got him to audition for the second series again, after seeing him on The Morning Show and then Sunrise.

And would you believe he knows Mel from 5 years ago when they did a Variety Club performance together? Mel can't believe "how much you've grown" (she is such a mum) and what a performer he's become.

Apart from his obvious talent, we love him because he is such a nice young bloke with great values and character.. and after meeting his grandmother and aunty you can understand where it comes from.

He deserves all the success he achieves and we'll try to help him along the way. Mark's dream is for a recording deal and to sing in Milan. We'll keep you posted on whether we can help turn those dreams into reality.

This country really is world class, isn't it? As you know I had the Easter week off and I went to Hamilton Island to chill out.

Given the tough economic times at the moment, we should be looking in our own backyard when it comes to holidays and other purchases.

Every day the economic outlook seems to get gloomier - I'm a finance nerd and even I'm getting depressed.

But I also think all this bad news is getting way out of hand and we're psyching ourselves into a turn.

Yes we're in Recession, but let's not lose our sense of perspective. Life's not just about money. It's about family, friends, kicking a footy, watching the kids' sport.

So enough of the gloom... join our Reject the Recession campaign. We'll give you the details on that, very soon.

DK

++ UPDATED 1.34pm March 29, 2009

What a fantastic week it was for star-spotting.

We had The Fray and Secondhand Serenade perform for us, in the studio.

They're touring together at the moment, and it was great to hear their hits "You Found Me"and "Fall For You".

Then on Thursday, Vanilla Ice aka Rob Van Winkle got on air to say sorry for "Ice Ice Baby".

But as some of you said - don't be sorry about the song... just apologise for the hair and pants!

And on Friday, we heard from that rock legend Roger Daltrey from The Who.

In a way I was expecting him to be a hellraiser, but he sat down for a nice chat, with a nice cup of tea!

Still, what a career he's had.. Not bad for somebody who once sang "I Hope I Die Before I Get Old".

Plus, Jim Wilson caught up with formula one star Lewis Hamilton, who's in action this weekend at the Grand Prix.

On Monday we're going to bring you all news about Logies nominations, as it happens.

James will be at the function where the names are revealed.

Also next week, the lovely Hayden Panettiere from Heroes will be dropping by again..

We saw a clip of her latest movie, Friday.

And make sure you're watching for details on our new competition, where you could win groceries for a year!

If you win, the Logies party is at your place, OK?

KOCHIE

 

++ UPDATED 5.38am December 22

We have a very busy, very family-oriented Christmas this year.

My second eldest daughter is getting married this Saturday.

My eldest daughter and son in law and my granddaughter are down from Ho Chi Min (Vietnam)

My son is also back – he has been studying for a year at uni in Mexico.

So with so many family around, my wife, especially, is very excited.

I am working through Christmas and new year (yes, some can enjoy the festive season… others have to do what’s right for their country!)

Then, I do get a holiday. I head off early January to visit Sam, Toby and Matilda in Vietnam.  Lib and I will also be stopping in the Philippines for three days to look at a street kids program.

Back at the desk early February.

See you soon!
DK

++ UPDATED 8.24am December 18

- The All Stars on Tuesday saw me got a little heated about global warming (watch video), so I thought I had better explain myself.

We allow alternate views on climate change. We have done a lot of work on climate change on Sunrise .

And the Cool The Globe camp was instrumental in galvanising public awareness and political awareness of climate change.

While we allow people to give their own view, we are not going to allow people to be misleading with complete red herrings!

To say 31,000 scientists disagree with climate change  - like our guest did this morning – is, I believe, nonsense.

With every issue there is a handful of dissenters, the overwhelming majority of the legitimate scientific community is that Global Warming is a real issue and that on an long-term trend basis, the earth is warming and it’s because of human intervention.

You can’t go “Gee, it’s just too hard.”

Remember, if we gave up on the ozone layer, no global ban on CFCs would have happened and now we see the ozone layer is starting to repair itself.

I can’t say to my one-year-old granddaughter, “Bad luck on that one, mate, I’ll flick pass this to you".

The other thing is suggesting we are such a small polluter.

While we are not emitters of volume like India or China, per head of population, we are the biggest polluter in the world.

Hopefully I was polite and we respected other views.

But we can’t allow them to say things that are untrue.

  

++ UPDATED 2.36pm November 16

Well I felt a bit shaggy at the start of this week.

That's after my 75 year old father and I spent Saturday night on the Gold Coast, at my future son-in-law's bucks party.

It was good to see so many young Sunrise viewers out late, saying hello, and enjoying themselves.

For an old codger like me, I can't fathom the trend of having a "buck's weekend". In my day it was usually a Saturday night drink at the saloon, with the horse tied up outside. Much cheaper too!

I must say this generation for all its criticisms, is so well behaved it's admirable.

One thing that I am disappointed about, is the AMA report card on hospitals. It makes my blood boil that we seem to be making absolutely no progress in improving our hospitals.

It continues to be a big black hole for funding, and we've been bashing our heads against a brick wall for years on this. Enough is enough!

A couple of years ago on the show, we got all the state health ministers together with then Federal Minister Tony Abbott. There were promises, but no delivery.

Well let me tell you as a program we're going to get angry about this. We're going to start to embarrass people in charge, and make governments accountable.

It's pathetic and un-Australian that this situation can continue. We're just going to get a bit ferocious on this, until we get some results.

We've got some big things happening next week, so make sure you keep up with it all.

On Monday, actors Ben Stiller and Chris Rock are going to tell us about their new movie, Madagascar 2. Tuesday is going to be huge, starting with Bond. James Bond.

Beretts is catching up with Daniel Craig. (Daniel was the first boyfriend for Rachel, Beretts' lovely wife, so they're going to have a bit to talk about.)

Meanwhile, we'll get a visit from the newest Bond girl, Olga Kurylenko.

But wait, there's more!

Snow Patrol is coming in to perform live in the studio! I loved their song from Grey's Anatomy, Chasing Cars. And their new one, Take Back The City, is just as good, if not better. You'll see them on Tuesday.

We're also looking forward to the release this week of Australia (the movie), starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

A good way to see Australia (the country), is in a brand new Subaru Tribeca.

And you could win one next week on Sunrise! Yep, we're giving away an award-winning Subaru Tribeca to one lucky viewer

The Subaru Tribeca is a new breed of luxury SUV. The one we're giving away is worth more than $60,000, and Beretts is all ready eyeing it off.

Entering is easy, just watch Sunrise from Monday to find out how.

We'll see you then.

Kochie

(This blog first appeared in a SUNRISE FAMILY newsletter. Are you in the family? Find out more)

++ UPDATED 2.23pm October11

If you didn't catch my special on the finance crisis tonight, you missed the very animated UK commentator Richard Quest explaining the depth of the crisis in the globe's economies.

This guy really loves his finance.

++ UPDATED 11.28pm September 28

It's time for me to tell it straight on this US financial crisis.

Certainly the US has got to reregulate their banking system but luckily, our system is streets ahead of the US, plus ours is more regulated and better regulated.

The US is suffering the consequences of saying to the banks, "Look, you do whatever whatever you like."

The whole reason they deregulated was to allow more finance into disadvantaged communities! But what you’re seeing now is the mortgages went so far they were lending to people who never should have been loaned money.

“If therewas not a bailout, there would be a depression. That’s depression with a D notR.”

 

I agree with the bailout – if there was not a bailout, there would be a depression. That’s depression with a D not R. No doubt at all.

To the taxpayer considering this trillion dollar cheque - they want accountability. If a firm takes advantage of the bailout, the taxpayers gets a stake…

If a crisis like this happened in Australia - hypothetically – our government would, of course, have to do the same.

It always boils down to the banks – who are encouraged by politicians, mind you – they are are too free and easy lending money to people who shouldn’t be borrowing.

Remember, Westpac in the early 90’s came very close to going broke – you had a crisis in the building societies and with credit unions also.

Even the Bank of SA went close to the brink and was forced into mergers.

Now, even though we are not nearly as bad off, we’ve still overdone it.
Home equity loans, how stupid is that? To convert an investment equity in your house into a depreciating consumable?

All of those will now go. The ripple effect here is that banks will become very conservative. We might go back to the old days when you could only get a loan if the– repayments equals no more than 30% of your income – and that’s the man’s salary – and only half of a woman’s – because she might get pregnant.
You also need to start with 20-25% deposit.
If there is a threat to our economy it will be a shift to this conservativeness and frugality.

There won’t be as many loans given out and that will effect the property process. Personal loans too will suffer – people won’t be adding five grand onto their home loan for that new plasma TV, so plasma sales will go down..  small businesses; it won’t be as easy to get credit.

If you find this all a bit daunting, talk to your grandmother - because that’s what she grew up with.


 ---------------------

 

++ UPDATED 12.27pm July 29

There’s great excitement for Mel and I right now.

I have only been to Hong Kong – never the mainland.

I am looking forward to seeing the Great Wall … immersing myself in the culture of this exotic land.

As for food, I am game to eat some of the unique cuisine on offer. Not as brave as Mel, though.

Anything goes with her - in the food stakes - and she is trying to find a cheeky Chinese chardonnay.

I don’t know if China are known for wine, but I know only one person will be able to find  out – that would be one Melissa Doyle

Am also planning my attack on local souvenirs.

I am thinking of bringing home one of those pandas in a shaker snow-dome thing for the grandaughter.

That would be quite good.

Really, our biggest issue is trying to find a bar that will have the Bledisloe Cup – we have our people onto that.

I have packed my bags already. We packed cool because it’s the middle of summer there and even at 4 in the morning it’s still 28 degrees.

Brrrr

DK

++ UPDATED 12.29pm 

 

++ UPDATED 19 June 9.12am 

Despite the blowout in the performance of superannuation funds, I don’t recommend changing.

Your return will be down it won't go below zero.

Even though this could be the biggest drop since the ‘87 crash, if you take into account the five year trend, it’s been one of the best performing periods ever!

This was really 4 sensational years, then a horrible fifth year.

The situation is, markets have tanked, America and parts of Europe are headed into recession…

What it’s time to do is use the opportunity to measure how your fund has gone against similar funds.

Blind Freddy can make money in a boom market - the real test is how you perform in a downturn.

For my money, I would much prefer a solid performer in boom-times and star performer during bad times

I couldn’t care if it’s not the best in boom times.

As long as it produces the smallest loss in bad times.

It’s also a good time to assess what sort of asset class your super is.

For example, if you’re in super with your boss’s fund, you usually have a few options –

• a balanced fund
• a share fund
• an income fund that is just income investments, or
• a property fund.

In a boom everyone sees the flashing lights of the big returns in the share market funds, but they also have highest risk in the downturn.

It may be time to reassess and go to a balanced fund, it includes a bit of of property, bit of fixed interest.

So in summary;

• Don’t panic
• It’s a good time to test the fund manager you are with
• Asses the style of fund  you are with.
• Does it suit your wealth and age profile?

 

 

Kochie takes us back to the day he started on Sunrise, getting to know Mel and how he sees their relationship now...

(read Mel's blog | Simon's blog | Beretts's blog | Nat's blog)

First week/memories

I filled in for three months to start with.

Back then,  I didn’t expected to stay, so my view was ‘I’ll give it ago’.

We always got on well, Mel and I. She was always my sort of… my sort of person. We have a very similar sense of humour, values.

At that stage, it was a straight newsreading-type show.

This was around the time Adam Boland started. (He was just a young go-getter. Still is. I am three months older than his mother!)

He's at Mel and I down and said that he was making changes - it would be a bit chattier, less formal.

And I had just been the finance nerd, doing segments. So I said I’d give it a go if I could be myself.

My take on TV is that it’s extraordinarily, highly manufactured. Hosts,especially, tend to be manufactured. They tend to act a certain way, if that’s then or not.

Our view was that if we’re on for three hours, we can’t be someone we’re not

And with that, I was really excited about it. It was terrific, Just Adam, Mel, Yoko [a producer] and I.

“Our office was a demountable tin shed in the back of Channel 7’s Epping studios. We were being thrashed by Today – no one cared, noexecutives watched us…”

Sowe used to amuse ourselves. Then we found other people wanted to be amused to!

Hiring the team

One of the great things about no one liking us and being in the car park was that they really didn’t care who we hired.

So we hired people we liked - what we call ‘our sort of people’, nice people, no pretenses.

Adam, Mel and I sat down and we thought someone else should read the news.

There’s only one person we thought was suitable. Nat.

Then Adam suggested we get a Sports presenter.

Berrets was just fired from 6pm and we said - he’s our guy

Nat and Berretts were the two ideal people to join us. I cannot imagine doing Sunrise with anyone else

 ------------------------

Kochie on Mel

Mel’s smile – you just can’t help but smile back at her.

 

“… Another Communications class in Queensland contacted us to say they had analysed us and they were certain we were having an affair! Neither were remotely correct.”

When you get up at four a.m., you want to work with people you like. And Mel, she keeps me under control, I admit that I maybe go over the line sometimes, and she pulls me back when she thinks I’m pushing it too far.

We have a wonderful working relationship.

I look forward to going in every day - primarily to sit next to her.

We spend more time with each other than with our spouses and it’s been going for five years. But don’t read into that. I could be her father.

It reminds me of a time when a Communications Class in Victoria contacted us saying said they had been examining our body language and they had determined,through this investigation, that Mel and I hated each other!

Now,another Communications class in Queensland contacted us not long after to say they had analysed us and they were certain we were having an affair!

Neither were remotely correct.

We’re often amused at how people are so concerned if we get on as well outside the show as we do on the show.

The funniest thing is, no one believed we could get on as well as we do. But we do.  We spend half our time saying that to people.

TV is so manufactured, it’s usually so artificial, that people don’t believe two people from different generations, could get on this well.

Kochie on Berretts

We’re both sports nuts.

He’s a terrific dad a family bloke as well. Apart from being water skiing champion,he’s so dedicated as a dad as well. That real blokey sense of humour.

We all gel because we seriously like each other.

We don’t hang out much because we see each other enough and while Berretts’s kids are young, my baby is in third year uni.

Kochie on Nat

Nat has a wicked sense of humour… a dry sense of humour but similar values and she’s just gorgeous.

I love how Mel and Nat support each other.

They have great husbands and I admire how they juggle motherhood and are such dedicated mothers

They are mums with old-fashioned values

They don’t have any live-in nanny, they both have people come and look after the kids at home, but they do all the cooking and everything.

DK.

 

 

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Kochie on his AFL upbringing 

(See Simon Reeve's AFL blog here)

It's one of my earliest memories as a kid ... watching Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval. With the great Geoff Motley's number on my back, Alberton was a winter ritual.

You see I grew up in Largs North just a block from the Police Academy and in the heart of Port Adelaide territory. My dad played for Semaphore Centrals in the amateur league and played a couple of seasons in Port's reserve team.

“I reckon it's the working class background that provides the magic of the club... and the fact that every other team's supporters hate you.”

As the eldest of three kids dad was still playing when I was born and apparently he'd push me in the pram to Semaphore Oval before every game and we'd be on the bus to Alberton for Port Adelaide.
Both sets of grandparents lived in Larg's Bay. Mum and her brother and sisters grew up Port fans.

Today my 80-year-old aunt and her husband are still members.

My uncle is patron of the club.

We're a Port Adelaide family.

The history, the success, the culture... once you become a Port Adelaide fan it's for life.
I reckon it's the working class background of the Port Adelaide tribe that provides the magic of the club... and the fact that every other team's supporters hate you.

It's always been that way.

In the SAFL, every other supporter would always barrack for whoever was playing the Magpies. Just last week in the Plaza outside the Sunrise studios, two Crows supporters came to say hello dressed in the club's jackets.

They were such nice ladies and asked for an autograph.

I jokingly said only if they supported Port Adelaide when we weren't playing the Crows. They hesitated and had to think about it... they seriously had to consider the consequences and I reckon, even then, only agreed to be polite.

The passion of Port Adelaide supporters, that seige mentality, has been at the core of every Port Adelaide team on the field. That pride, that never-say-die commitment.

It was there in the era of Peter Obst, of Geoff Motley, of John Cahill, of Russel Ebert... as it is today in the Cornes', Tredrea and the rest of the team.

It was there when they won their record breaking six consecutive premierships. Growing up there was just a natural expectation we'd be at Adelaide Oval every September taking on Sturt or Woodville or Souths, or whoever.

One of my fondest memories was a home game ritual of Grandpa Koch taking me to the window outside the Port dressing room at half time to listen in to super coach Fos Williams barking instructions to the team...

I reckon I learnt my first swear word at that window.

Even today I close my eyes in the dressing rooms before a match and listen to Choco doing the same thing and think, 'like father like son'.

Port Adelaide has always been a family and always will be... it's what tradition is made from.
Those great Port Adelaide surnames just keep coming back with new generations of players.
It's the magic of Port Adelaide.

DK