Afternoons

Over the last couple of weeks there has been a spate of metal thefts in the Wellington region First the EV chargers at Avalon Park were cut. Then on Tuesday evening ChargeNet reported that five of their charging locations across the region had also been hit. This fits with what we are seeing in the rest of the country. A 2025 police report found that metal thefts have almost tripled in the last th...

Oreti Beach is one of Southland's most iconic stretches of coastline, 26 kilometres in length, the bay lies between the town of Riverton and the outflow of the Aparima River. It's a place made famous by motorcycling legend Burt Munro who used it as his personal speedway while training to set his land speed records. Records that still stand to this day But now there's a growing debate about its fut...

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.

For years self-driving cars felt like a technology that was always just over the horizon. Now they're here. In parts of the United States and China, fully autonomous vehicles are already carrying passengers without anyone behind the wheel. Dr Andrew Miller writes about the future of mobility in his newsletter Changing Lanes. He says we're approaching a major turning point in transport, one that co...

Wednesday means Easy Eats here on Afternoons; a chance to share a recipe that is light on time but heavy on flavour. Kelly Gibney is away but we're thrilled to have Emilie Pullar here, a pasta expert who's behind The Burnt Butter Table website and Burnt Butter Pasta Instagram page.

It's time for our weekly travel segment 'Heading Off' where we explore the world via your adventures and all without having to leave the house. Today we're off to Medellin, Colombia's second largest city. Louise Amey lived in the city for 5 months, and joins Jesse to tell us all about it

This week's episode is about the Pest Free Purerua-Mataroa peninsula project. At the northern end of the Bay of Islands, this peninsula is home to a large population of northland brown kiwi. Claire takes a tour with project leader Andy Mentor to learn about their work. First stop is on a slight rise that looks out over the narrow peninsula neck - an important area for the team.

Covering more than 300 thousand hectares of the Southern Alps region, the Te Manahuna Aoraki Project is one of our most ambitious pest control projects yet. The aim is to create New Zealand's first ever pest free national park. And to help achieve that goal, the team involved is wide ranging and diverse, from existing conservation groups to the Defence Force. Oh and it's making the most of AI tech...

According to Health NZ data, more than a quarter of couples in New Zealand will inexperience infertility ... and one in eight will require medical assistance to achieve pregnancy. But of course, treatments like IVF, or in vitro fertilization, can be costly, and there are no guarantees. That's why two years ago Jaimee Lupton founded Gingernut's Angels to help provide financial support to couples st...

It's not a stretch to say the last few years have been a really tough time to be a sheep farmer .. some farmers were earning so little from wool that it barely covered the cost of shearing. But things could be looking up. Last week's PGG Wrightson National Wool auction saw prices climb to their highest level in 15 years. So what's behind the turnaround, and is it here to stay? Rachel Shearer from...

Have we got a great story to brighten your Wednesday. Over the weekend an event called 'La La Land in Concert' was on in Sydney; that's where an audience watches the Oscar award winning film La La Land with a live orchestra and jazz band performing the soundtrack, all conducted by the film's Oscar-winning composer Justin Hurwitz. Except this performance didn't go to plan. Here to explain what happ...

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.

The job description for fathers has changed. Once upon a time, dads were expected to provide a paycheck, lay down the rules, and keep the garden tidy. Today, many men want more. Men want to be present, emotionally connected, and deeply involved in their children's lives. Kevin Maguire has spent years writing honestly about what happens when ambition, career success and old expectations collide wit...

Every Tuesday we get your help solving an issue. This week we are looking at disciplining other people's kids. Should you? Text 2101 or email us afternoons@rnz.co.nz your thoughts!

Afternoons podcast critic Linda Burgess joins Jesse to share what she's been listening to: Better Known (Ivan Wise) Homing (Matt Giberd)

Afternoons critic Anna Rankin is keen to discuss the book it seems everyone is talking about right now, The Valley, by Asher Emanuel

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 the New Plymouth in the Taranaki region from where Mayor Max Brough joins Jesse.

The parents of a young man who died in a drugs related incident are backing a law change that they believe could have saved their son Jacob's life. The Drug Overdose (Assistance Protection) Legislation Bill is currently being considered by the Health Committee, with submissions closing on Tuesday 16 June. If passed into law, this bill would legally protect those who call 111 for help. That protect...

How well do you know your grasses? We're asking because conservationists are worried some of you might be accidentally spreading a harmful pest plant. You see, invasive Pampas Grass is commonly mistaken for native Toetoe, and that's a mix up that could see the harmful weed spread through our vulnerable ecosystems. Terence Stewart, Founder and Owner of Native Restorations joins Jesse.

Big critter news out this morning, a suspected scorpion has been found in a bathroom in an Auckland home. The arachnid has since died, and MPI has collected it for further study. To find out if we should be worried, Jesse is joined by Te Papa curator of invertebrates Phil Sirvid.

We're going to start today's show talking about our nuclear policy. That's because at a forum in Singapore Defense Minister Chris Penk said it could be "helpful" to have a conversation about Nuclear Free New Zealand. He made the comments in reference to Australia's agreement to acquire three nuclear powered Virginia Class submarines from the United States. Speaking on Morning Report today Prime Mi...