The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

You may remember The Wild Twins, Amber and Serena Shine from the TV show Naked and Afraid, where they survived 21 days naked in the African wilderness.  Their list of adventures is very impressive; they’ve run the world’s highest marathon on Mt Everest, walked jaguars in the Amazon, sailed treacherous seas and raced 322 kilometres on a dog sled.  They have now put tales of their strength and endur...

Cook time:1 ½ hours, prep time 12 minutes  250g smoked bacon belly, cut into strips  4 large red onions, very finely sliced  4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed  ¼ cup espresso coffee  ¼ cup malt vinegar  4 tbsp lime marmalade  3 tbsp bourbon (optional)  In a heavy based or cast iron frypan, over a medium heat, sauté the bacon, turning occasionally.  Once the fat is manly rendered and the bacon is...

For anyone else looking something different to do this weekend and also a way to take some time away from Earth while helping the future of science - hop over to Mars!  Members of the public can now help teach an artificial intelligence algorithm to recognise scientific features in images taken by NASA's Perseverance rover. Because all machine learning algorithms require training from humans, and...

How do you quiet your insane monkey mind?   We have thousands of thoughts running through our minds - your “to do” list, your current feelings, your worries and fears for the future, what's for dinner tonight, etc.   Erin O'Hara has some top science-based tips to cut through all the noise that constantly surrounds you and to feel peaceful & calm.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Filling an NZIFF-sized gap for Auckland is the Auckland Online Film Festival.  Editor of flicks.co.nz Steve Newall joined Francesca Rudkin. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week I’ve been reading Jane Goodall’s new book called The Book of Hope. It’s the kind of book you reach for when you hit week 11 in a slow-moving lockdown.   In the book Goodall talks about the nature of hope, why she remains hopeful, and how we can stay hopeful when everything seems hopeless.   Jane Goodall calls hope a survival trait. Hope, she says, “is what enables us to keep going in the...

Sigourney Weaver is an icon of the film world.  She has such a wide array of film credits – her breakthrough was as Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott’s Alien, there was Ghostbusters, Avatar, Gorillas in the Mist, The Ice Storm. I could go on and on  The last couple of years have been busy for Sigourney, she’s been in TV show Call My Agent, as well as filming for upcoming sequels of James Cameron’s Avat...

US health regulator, the FDA, has authorised use of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11 years old. This makes it the first Covid-19 vaccine available to young children in America.  Malaghan Institute Director, Immunologist Graham Le Gros joined Francesca Rudkin.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From 14 November 2021, the managed isolation period for international arrivals into New Zealand will reduce from 14 days to 7 days, followed by isolation at home until the result of a day 9 test has been received.   One of the biggest criticisms is we have people with Covid in the community quarantining at home, while double vaccinated, negative test returnees still have to MIQ and self isolate. T...

The All Blacks have beaten Six Nations champions Wales 54-16 in Cardiff this morning.  Our rugby commentator Elliott Smith joined Francesca Rudkin. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Overnight tonight, the UNs COP26 Climate Change Conference gets underway in Glasgow.  World renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall has taken a lead role at the conference, named as a COP26 Advocate.  Dr Goodall also has a new book out, in a time when hope is very much needed it is aptly titled The Book of Hope.  Dr Jane Goodall joined Francesca Rudkin live from London.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystud...

Despite the wet weather this Labour Weekend, it's a good time to start growing crops. NZ Gardener editor Jo McCarroll joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss some of the edible crops you can start growing this weekend. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks enjoyed a resounding 104-14 win over the US in Washington, D.C. this morning. But the hype of American sports has caught the attention of travel blogger Megan Singleton. She joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss sporting events she's been to in the US and if sporting events are the best ways to immerse yourself in a country’s culture. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

10 weeks into lockdown and no end in sight just yet for Auckland. The Government has announced a traffic light system as New Zealand transitions out of the elimination strategy and alert levels, but Friday's announcement didn’t present as many certainties as people would’ve hoped for. There is also a debate on whether the traffic light system will cause more division among anti-vaxxers and double...

There wasn’t a lot of clarity on Friday for people when it comes to moving out of the alert system to the traffic light system. For a lot of people who have already done what has been asked of them and got vaccinated, we’re just sitting in a holding pattern going nowhere.  The traffic light system announcement and rising number of Covid cases have brought a lot of stress and anxiety onto people ov...

Simone Starr has been referred to as Meths Top Model.  She grew up in the 90s surrounded by Sydney’s underworld.  Desperate to make a life for herself, Simone threw everything into her modelling career, moving to Hollywood to live the seemingly glamourous life.  But there was still a dark side to her, behind the scenes she was playing a leading role exporting meth in an international drug traffick...

Asparagus with Mustard Crème Fraiche  SERVES 2–4   PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES COOK   TIME: 5–7 MINUTES   This can be a side dish for four or a main course for two — you choose. The sauce can be made in advance and stored, covered, in the fridge for up to three days.    500g fresh asparagus, ends trimmed   1 small clove garlic, peeled and crushed to a paste with ½ tsp salt   1 generous tsp Dijon mustard ...

Singer Hollie Smith has released her first album in five years. Her new album Coming In From The Dark was released on Friday. The New Zealand International Film Festival gets underway next week. The festival opens in Christchurch on 29th October, having been moved from Auckland due to Covid. Entertainment commentator Chris Schulz joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss the latest in entertainment. LIST...

With all eyes on Washington DC ahead of the All Blacks' clash with the USA, travel blogger Megan Singleton has been reading up on all things Washington DC. She told Francesca Rudkin how she did an exchange to Washington DC in the 1980s and what there is to do in the US capital outside of some of the usual sites. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As October starts to draw to a close and Labour Day nears, it's time to start looking at growing tomatoes. Editor of NZ Gardener magazine Jo McCarroll joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss tips and tricks for planting and growing tomatoes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zoom Fatigue is something we all may have experienced at some point during lockdown. Four common things that cause it are close eye contact, seeing yourself in a video meeting, reduced mobility and our cognitive loads being much higher in a video chat. Naturopath and wellbeing expert Erin O'Hara joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss Zoom Fatigue and how to combat it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/l...

More than 130,000 vaccines were administered on Super Saturday. Auckland vaccination rates now sit at 89 per cent with a nationwide vaccination rate of 85 per cent. As part of Super Saturday, a vaxathon was run, which was successful in driving up the vaccine numbers. However, the need for a target date for Auckland to move out of lockdown in phases is critical. There is also traction for a move aw...

Kiwi filmmaker Chelsea Winstanley has her name on films like What We Do in the Shadows and Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, which is now on Netflix.  She was also the first indigenous woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for her work on JoJo Rabbit.  Her new film she produced is set to screen at the New Zealand International Film Festival. It’s called Night Raiders, and is a female-dr...

If you put food in the microwave, where do you place it?    Most people place it in the centre of the microwave and let the spinning plate inside do its magic.  However, scientifically the best place to put your food is on the outer edge of the plate, not the centre!  Microwave ovens are quick to heat food as they channel heat energy directly into food molecules which causes the water, sugar and f...

HBO comedy-drama Succession is returning for its third season after being delayed due to Covid. Season 3 picks up where Season 2 ended and airs on Soho and NEON from tomorrow evening at 9:30pm. Adele is also returning, with her newest single Easy On Me. Six years after 25, her latest album 30 is out on November 19. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall joined Francesca Rudkin. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystud...