Afternoons

Let's chat books now .. critic Bill Hastings is with Jesse to discuss what he's been reading .. which includes Dame Silvia Cartwright's memoir. That Woman: A Memoir by Silvia Cartwright (Allen & Unwin, 2026) Nigh Night Fawn by Jordy Rosenberg (Penguin, 2026)

It's time for Mayoral minutes .. where we speak with a local mayor about the challenges they're facing ... how they're working to solve them... and what makes their community special Today we're heading to a stunning part of the country, the Mackenzie District, where you'll find Aoraki Mount Cook, Lake Tekapo and Pukaki and Mayor Scott Aronsen!

One of New Zealand's quirkiest literary awards is back! It's the Surrey Hotel Writers Residency Award - now in its tenth year - but this year it's a little different, writer Steve Braunias is here to explain.

Many of you might be familiar with having an empty nest ... your children have grown up and left the family home .. but new data suggests the nest is getting harder to leave for good. Record numbers of young adult New Zealanders are moving back in with their parents. Census data suggests that 247,000 people in New Zealand aged 18 to 29 live with their parents - a growth of almost 25 per cent since...

Three Westport teenagers set themselves a pretty ambitous challenge over the school holidays. The plan? Tackle four big New Zealand routes - the Heaphy Track, the Paparoa Track, the Old Ghost Road and the Kawatiri Coastal Trail. That's over 250 kilometres, on bikes, with lots of hills and challenges along the way. Teenager Lily Rossiter chats to Jesse about why.

We're going to start today's show focusing on a New Zealand company doing great things on the world stage. You might remember in 2024 here on Afternoons, we spoke to Christchurch company ArcActive about the development of a battery system for affordable home storage. At the time, it was preparing to take its lead-acid battery technology into commerical production. Well, fast forward two years and...

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

Humans have always looked for explanations for the things we can't understand. Across history, we've turned to religion, mythology and the supernatural to explain what seems to defy explanation. Dr Diana Walsh Pasulka is a professor of religious studies and has spent years talking to people who believe they've encountered UFO's or something beyond ordinary human experience. She says there are stri...

Afternoons critic Dominic Corry is with Jesse in the Auckland studio to share what he's been watching. This week he reviews War (Hayu) Carrie (Prime Video)

It's time for our expert feature, where we invite an expert in their field on the show to answer all your questions. Today we're talking about cryptocurrency ... which seems as divisive as marmite .. some people swear by it, while others think the whole thing is a scam. It's important to note that we're not here promote it or recommend it as an investment .. what we want to know is how it all work...

This is our regular feature where Jesse checks out one of the many amazing clubs around the country, we call it Jesse Goes Clubbing. If you have a club or society you'd like Jesse to visit you can get in touch on 2101 or email him at jesse@rnz.co.nz. Ron Vereen joins Jesse.

Every Monday we like to catch up with Brad Foster and find out what people are talking about over in Australia. This week Brad will tell us about Sydney's heatwave, credit card fees, Powderfinger making a return and of course the Bledisloe Cup.

An old colonial era brew from America is making a comeback. Here Now host Kadambari Raghukumar visited Nelson to visit the makers of Elsewhen, to learn about how raw pioneering spirit gave way to a smooth cocktail staple.

We want to talk supermarkets because on Friday independent grocery retailer Paddock to Pantry announced they're taking on the duopoly of Woolworths and Foodstuffs. The online supermarket - which already operates two stores in South Auckland - plans to open 20 more over the next 5 years. The first of the new stores is due to open in Kinloch, near Taupo, in December. Paddock to Pantry business manag...

Later this month people around Taranaki will opening up their homes, gardens, and farms to showcase the ways they try to live a little more sustainably. Taranaki Sustainable Trails runs for 17 days from the 30th of October, with more than 30 events and 34 properties to visit. One of this year's trail hosts is Jane Bowden-Dobson, who's showing off her Ahu Ahu property. She joins Jesse.

The so-called Cornell 7 case has sparked international attention .. and each day it seems more evidence emerges publicly. Last month a woman, known publicly as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell University and seven Chi Phi fraternity members over an alleged sexual assault that took place in 2024. According to reports, one aspect of the case centres on a snapchat group involving more...

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

This week The Housekeepers Rachael Quin is with Jesse to talk about how to juggle chores with neurodiversity in mind .. specifically ADHD.

This week Nicola Toki and Jesse discuss the Green Sea Turtle - they are large marine reptiles found globally in tropical and subtropical waters but are also regular visitors to, and recently discovered residents of, Aotearoa.

Martin Bosley, renowned chef and owner of Yellow Brick Seafoods shares his recipe for Japanese-stye poached chicken salad with smashed cucumber. Recipe below! Serves 4 For the chicken 2 large skinless chicken breasts, around 500-600g 3cm piece of ginger, sliced 2 spring onions 1 tsp salt For the smashed cucumber 2 Lebanese or one telegraph cucumber 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 tsp sugar ½...

NZ Live is your chance to enjoy an intimate music session with songs and chat. This week Jesse is joined by Tim Mahon and the Kerfuffle.

Afternoons Film Critic Dominic Corry is with Jesse in the Auckland Studio to share what he's been watching; The Social Reckoning and NAZA (both in cinemas now)

Time for freaky Friday ...this is our home for your tales of the unexpected. We're talking ghosts, premonitions, the spooky, and the unexplainable. If you have a story to tell, then get in touch on 2101 or Jesse@rnz.co.nz.

In 1995, 18-year old American Christa Pike was sentenced to the death after murdering 19-year old Colleen Slemmer. For the last 31 years she's been on death row, until last month when she was set to become to the first women executed in Tennessee in 200 years. But, after surviving two lethal injections - Pike is reportedly now up and walking in hospital, and while a bit muddled is also talking. So...

We want to start today's show with some good news .. it's Friday after all and we love celebrating New Zealanders doing great things. Dr Dominic Moseley is one such New Zealander .. last night he won a big award at the KiwiNet Research Commercialisation Awards .. for his work turning superconductivity research into technology that can be used in fusion energy. Dominic chats to Jesse.