Afternoons

If you have a freaky, ghostly, or mysteriously unexplained tale to share then do get in touch. 2101 on the text or Jesse@rnz.co.nz Today we're joined by Sarah in Kaiwaka.

It feels like every week there's another headline about another hospitality business shutting it's doors .. so we thought it was timely to celebrate one that's still going strong. Prego is an Italian restaurant that has become an Auckland institution - sitting proudly on Ponsonby Road for 40 years this year. At the 2026 Lewisham Awards last weekend, Prego picked up the trophy for Outstanding Local...

This weekend marks a remarkable milestone in motorsport history, with McLaren Racing reaching its 1000th Formula One Grand Prix. The team - founded by Auckland-born racing driver Bruce McLaren - made their F1 debut in the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix In a full circle moment. this weekend's race will also take place at the Monaco circuit, one of the most iconic race tracks in the world. Currently the tea...

Overnight a lightning storm hit the country which saw over six thousand lightning strikes - six thousand! Which got us thinking about lightning and how little we understand it. You've probably seen the flashes, and maybe even counted the seconds until the thunder arrives, but where does it come from? How does a cloud create a bolt that's hotter than the surface of the sun? And why does New Zealand...

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.

It's time now for a new segment we're trying out, it's called Political Group Chat and it's where we look back on some of the big issues over the past week. Joining Jesse in Auckland is comedian and commentator Tim Batt. And in Feilding, screenwriter, podcaster and free speech advocate Dane Giraud.

There has been a lot of chatter this week about US and NZ relations with regard to military spending so our favourite historian Dr Grant Morris thought it was a good time to look back at the history of our two countries in times of war.

We like to think of ourselves as solution focused here on Afternoons so every couple weeks, we chat about some of the world's problems and how to solve them. Steve Wyn Harris joins me to chat about El Nino and Wool prices.

NZ Sport History looks back at the people and moments that have changed the game one way or another. This week Kieran Read joins Jesse. Kieran has done it all - he won two rugby world cups, played 127 tests for the All Blacks, 52 of them as captain and racked up 157 Super appearances for the Crusaders. He's regarded as one of the greatest No. 8s to wear the black jersey.

Winter sports are well under way, which means stories about poor sideline behaviour are back in the headlines. Things got so bad in Waikato a few weeks ago that all junior rugby league matches were cancelled. Sport Waikato says not only is the behaviour inappropriate, but it can actually have a detrimental effect on a kid's enthusiasm for sport. Sport Waikato CEO Matthew Cooper is with me now.

Possums remain one of the biggest threats to our native species, with an estimated 30 million of them roaming around. Predator Free NZ has a great library of guides and resources to help gear towards our Predator Free 2050 goal. And their latest advice is think of it as a party! Yes, actually. To explain Jesse is joined by Pest Free Banks Peninsula operations coordinator Ollie Rutland-Sims.

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!