Afternoons

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.

Every Friday Jesse chats critters with passionate conservationist Nicola Toki. This week they are talking about the Ngahere Gecko. Found across the lower-to-eastern North Island, ranging from East Cape down through the Wairarapa and into the Wellington region, these guys are playing the long game-they can live for decades (up to 30+ years)!

October is the time to be proactive in your garden .. with the days growing longer and the soil warming up, plants grow faster. Gardening guru Lynda Hallinan is with Jesse to share what you should be focusing on in your garden.

Hospitality legend, and manager of Auckland Council's The Kitchen Project, Connie Clarkson is with Jesse to share a recipe for miso snapper rice bowl. As summer peaks around the corner, this is one for our boaties and fisherfolk! You've GOT to love a good fish head to pile on the umami, nutrients and cut down on food waste while you are at it.

Time for NZ Live. Your weekly live music showcase. A private gig to play you into the weekend. Today's artist has become one of the country's most successful musicians with 100s of millions of streams across 7 albums. His latest 'Real Fruit Ice Cream' was released back in August. We last spoke in 2021 - that's four albums ago! - so we're delighted to welcome Eddie Johnson A.K.A Lontalius to NZ Liv...

Afternoons critic Dominic Corry is with Jesse in the Auckland studio to share the movies he's been watching: Clayface (in cinemas) Wildwood (in cinemas)

As you know just before 2pm each Friday we like to leave you with a spooky story to take into the weekend. We call it Freaky Friday... it can be the unexplained .. the unknown or the unusual. We love it all! Do get in touch if you've got a story to share - 2101 or afternoons@rnz.co.nz [picture id="4OFO8JG_copyright_image_105527" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Wild Matata also known as fernbirds have been spotted at Lake Kohangatera in the Wellington region for the first time in 70 years. The Matata - which is classified as "At Risk" - depends on healthy wetlands for its survival. To find out more Jesse is joined by 'Greater Wellington's Jack Mace. [picture id="4L3070L_M_t_t_NZ_Fern_bird_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

2026 has seen a lot of anti Indian rhetoric in New Zealand ... a quick search online brings up pretty confronting headlines .. including the "butter chicken tsunami" comments from NZ First's Shane Jones. Earlier this week Brian Tamaki appeared in Auckland's Manukau District Court, where he denied claims he incited rational disharmony that's after he accused India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi of...

TIME magazine recently released its list of the 300 best inventions for 2026 and two New Zealand companies have made the cut. Palmerston North Agritech company BioLumic and Leaft - a Canterbury based food company Leift - set up by Synlait Milk founder John Penno and his wife Maury Leyland-Penno - developed a process for extracting protein from Lucerne leaves. Something that previously involved a c...

We're going to start the show with a discussion about the cost of living. According to many polls, it's your biggest concern in the lead up to the general election with rising living costs and flat wage growth leaving many struggling to afford the basics. Politicians are promising very different solutions to get the economy back on track, but what we wanted to know was how did we get here? and why...

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 is Afternoons chance to discuss the stories that have been in the news cycle over the past seven days. Jesse is joined by commentator and comedian Tim Batt and Victoria University's political scientist Dr Lara Greaves.  

There has been a lot of talk about MMP overhang this election campaign .. we chatted to Bryce Edwards a few weeks ago to get a better understanding of what Te Pati Maori, Harry Mowbray and Don Brash are trying to achieve. Today Dr Grant Morris is with Jesse to explain the history of MMP overhangs in New Zealand.

Every fortnight we spend some time trying to solve some of the world's problems, this week Stuff columnist Verity Johnson joins Jesse to discuss what's on her mind. Today she's talking about the importance of having hope.

It's time for New Zealand sports history and today Jesse is joined by the one and only Ian Smith. One of the perks of this job is getting to speak to sporting greats, and Ian is certainly one of them. He was New Zealand's wicketkeeper through the golden era of the 1980s and into the 90s, playing 63 Tests and 98 ODIs. First selected for the Black Caps in 1980, he went on to establish himself as one...

Let's talk relationships, Jesse is joined by Professor Kirsty Ross from Massey University's School of Psychology Please get in touch if there's a topic you'd like Kirsty and Jesse to cover at afternoons@rnz.co.nz

The film Tenzing, which tells the story of Sir Ed Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's ascent of Everest from the sherpa's perspective. is getting rave reviews from critics .. including our own Kate Rodger on Friday. It was filmed across Nepal and New Zealand and has some big stars involved .. including Tom Hiddleston as Hillary. New Zealand acting coach Dame Miranda Harcourt worked closely with the produ...

Some of the world's best sportspeople have interesting quirks when it comes to which side of their body they use. Cricketers Kane Williamson and Sachin Tendulkar, for example, bat and throw right-handed but write left-handed. And there's another pattern that a sports fan has been exploring: athletes who swing a golf club from the right side but bat from the left in cricket or baseball. Sports mega...

There has been a lot of talk in the many, many political debates about how to make sure New Zealand recognises its full potential. According to a new report from lobby group "Circular by Nature" we could start by looking at the economic value we're getting from our natural resources. It says each of us uses around 21 tonnes of natural resources per year - well above the global average - but despit...

RNZ Business Editor Corin Dann joins Jesse to explain what the new inflation figures mean for the economy and your pocket!

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.

Taika Waititi's latest film is called Klara and the Sun, based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, it's a story about love, loneliness, family and what makes us human. Klara and the Sun stars Jenny Ortega, Amy Adams and the New Zealand landscape outside Wanaka. Waititi's films often find humour and humanity in unexpected places, from Hunt for the Wilderpeople to Jojo Rabbit. This time however, he's ta...

Time for Bookmarks now and today we're joined by Petrina D'Rozario, founder and festival director of the Indian Film Festival New Zealand. It's the country's first dedicated Indian film festival, bringing more than 30 films in more than 11 languages to screens across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Opening night is on October 22 at Auckland's Hoyts Sylvia Park ...Petrina D'Rozario shares he...

Wednesdays here on Afternoons means a chance to talk food .. each week Kelly Gibney joins me to brighten up your weekly meal routine. Recipe is HERE