Quite Surreal

BONUS: Phil Vine chats cults with ABC's Dominique Bayens

The Lodge host Phil Vine delves into a fascinating cold case from across the Tasman. The mysterious disappearance of two men, a 27 year old woman and her five-year-old daughter in Western Australia. One of the men was the leader of a doomsday cult who talked about escaping to a higher plane. In 2007 four of them vanished, leaving a note at their house in Nannup that they'd gone to Brazil, but authorities say none of them have left the country. Phil chats with Dominique Bayens - the ABC host of Expanse: The Nannup Four. Find Dominique Bayens podcast Expanse: The Nannup Four [https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/expanse] on the ABC website or wherever you get your podcasts. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/the-lodge?share=e898d00c-0832-4d65-bfb2-adea7a18ad35]

Burning Questions

Phil seeks an interview with Aiping and her family to find out what’s going on now at the lodge and the story behind those energy clinics. Arriving in Te Anau, he speaks to a neighbour about what’s going on these days, and as he tries to get an audience with the guru, is in for quite a reception. For articles and images from the series, visit the RNZ website here: www.rnz.co.nz/thelodge [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/thelodge] Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/the-lodge?share=99fed752-dacb-47ab-806d-d828c1554884]

The Ultimate Price

Remember Warwick the Kiwi actor? We follow his treatment at the Energy Bank in London, his special invitation to New Zealand for a one-on-one with Aiping Wang and find out how his story ends. Phil discusses the appeal of alternative medicine but also speaks with wellness experts about the dangers of exclusivity, where health gurus tell their followers it’s my way, or the highway. For articles and images from the series, visit the RNZ website here: www.rnz.co.nz/thelodge [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/thelodge] Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/the-lodge?share=b91402f7-92f3-42c5-ac1e-dfcb166f44c6]

Ahead Of Her Time

We catch up with cult survivor and former zealot, Suzanne. She and her mum gave $1.5 million to Aiping to be life members at the Lodge, before her mum died what Suzanne calls “a horrific death”. Twenty years on, what does Suzanne believe now, what has she learnt, and what can her experience teach others? For articles and images from the series, visit the RNZ website here: www.rnz.co.nz/thelodge [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/thelodge] Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/the-lodge?share=c1542e7e-ce12-4b30-9010-50fc8fdcefb9]

Quite Surreal

A bomb threat in 2005 shuts down central Tauranga, a city in the North Island of New Zealand, and Phil discovers that the bomber has a connection with the Lodge. After coming under public scrutiny Aiping, her family and followers go international, opening clinics in Europe and the States. We learn what some of her followers were paying for her Life Technology teachings and how others are profiting from them. For articles and images from the series, visit the RNZ website here: www.rnz.co.nz/thelodge [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/thelodge] Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/the-lodge?share=860dc69f-a5ba-4994-b692-e22e64f7ff98]