Afternoons

It's time for our expert feature and today we're talking electric vehicles. The volatile situation in the Middle East has driven up fuel prices sparking renewed interest in EVs as Kiwis look for ways to cut their transport costs. While most people know that electric vehicles are cheaper to run, many of you might have plenty of questions around battery life, charging infrastructure, range, and whet...

Each week Jesse chats to a local club, which means Jesse could be taking you pigeon racing, knitting, or off to play backgammon. If you've got a club you want Jesse to join, please get in touch 2101 or Jesse@rnz.co.nz Today we're joined by Richard Feltham.

Our Australia correspondent Brad Foster joins Jesse to talk about what's making news across the Tasman, starting with Former Australian of the Year, Professor Richard Scolyer who died last night.

In June 1986, for one week, the Northern Waikato town of Otorohanga officially renamed itself 'Harrodsville'. Exactly why is layed out in the new 'Harrodsville 40th Anniversary' exhibition at Otorohanga Museum, which is running from now until the end of June. Here to share the details is Otorohanga Mayor Rodney Dow.

At what age do we stop saying somebody has fallen over and instead say they've had a fall? It's a quirk of language that points to the fact that in our later years, taking a tumble is likely to be that much more serious. And with an aging population, staying steady on our feet is a growing concern Well, a Kiwi research team is focused on tackling that issue and supporting healthy aging with a part...

The Waitangi Tribunal has been holding a hearing for its inquiry into the government's proposed amendments to treaty clauses. It launched the urgent inquiry last month because of concerns the reforms could cause and I quote, "significant and irreversible prejudice" to Maori. When the amendments were announced, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said they would ensure references to the principles of t...

New Zealanders drink 3.7kgs of coffee per person every year ... that's according to data from the International Coffee Organisation .. which puts us just out of the top twenty coffee consuming countries .. but well above the global average. It's fair to say, we've cracked drinking coffee and making coffees, so it seems only right that our attention turns to growing coffee. More than 9 thousand cof...

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 we put the spotlight on a critter that's endemic to New Zealand and endangered, Nicola Toki and Jesse discuss the creature and then rates it. We call this segment critter of the week. This week all eyes are on Te Hakeke / Wood Ear Fungus.

Weekend Stuff with Lynda Hallinan

Gretchen Lowe is with us to share her recipe for Kerala Chicken Curry with Coconut, Ginger and Fried Curry Leaves.

Afternoons critic Dominic Corry is with us to share what he's been watching: Masters of the Universe - new in theatres Backrooms - new in theatres

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...