The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

A new National MP delivered a powerful maiden speech in Parliament telling the Opposition it doesn't have a monopoly on certain groups. Rangitata's James Meager told the House about his part-Māori background and growing up in a state house with a single parent on the benefit. The speech was met with applause and messages of support- and experts have him tapped as a future leader. Meager says he wa...

About now most of us are on the countdown. The countdown to Santa Claus’ brief visit and the end of the year. The countdown to some time off, a chance to stop and reset. Or perhaps it’s the countdown to returning home to spend quality time with family. It may just be the countdown to the end of Christmas music for another year.   You get the picture.   But while many of us are ready to slow things...

The end of the year is almost here, and Joan's listed her favourite fictional titles from 2023!  JOAN’S TOP FICTION FOR 2023   The Year of the Locust  by Terry Hayes (author of  I Am PilgrimI)   The Bee Sting  by Paul Murray – was also shortlisted for the Booker   The Frozen River  by Ariel Lawhon   Lola in the Mirror  by Trent Dalton   The Covenant of Water  by Abraham Verghese   The Secret Hours...

This week, Megan Singleton examines her latest boat tour of Croatia and Greece. Megan explained that some ports are better for taking excursions and some are better for just pottering round the region- so there's plenty of factors to account for. Read more about Megan's highlights and recommendations here . LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, editor and journalist Jo McCarroll and Liam Hehir from Freebairn and Hehir Lawyers joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more! Let's grade the new Government’s first week. There's been hits and misses- how are you feeling about the future after this interesting start? Do National voters have a right to feel disappointed with how things...

Feeding children healthy foods like fruits and vegetables can be a challenging task – but now science has a smiling solution. A new study published in the journal Nutrients  claims the easiest way to get your children to eat more vegetables is to add a smiling potato! The study involved serving a tray of food to children which contained chicken nuggets with ketchup, a glass of milk, applesauce and...

Roasted hazelnut dressing: Cook time: 20 minutes Prep time: 5 minutes Serves: 6 1 x 10cm sprig rosemary pinch flaky sea salt, 1/2 cup hazelnuts, whole 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 5 tbsp grapeseed oil, salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 180*c, place the hazelnuts into a pan and toast in the oven until just golden- around 5 minutes. Then place the hazelnuts into a tea towel, bunch...

Setting and keeping health-based goals is difficult- especially when self-sabotage comes into play. As we reach the new year, more people are putting their health goals aside until January as Christmas parties and holiday events loom. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says this will make the January recovery period harder in the long run- and it's important to strike the right balance. LI...

A new set of international and local acts are set to join the 2024 WOMAD festival lineup. French house act Braxe + Falcon, Estonian folk artist Mari Kalkun, Irish sensations Lisa O'Neill and Cormac Begley and Kiwi alt-pop star Theia are all confirmed to be playing at the festival in March. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says these artists join Morcheeba, Strawpeople, and Ziggy Marley at the New...

The coalition Government has settled into their new roles- and the Deputy Prime Minister's been at the centre of controversy. Winston Peters has twice implied the media's been bribed, referring to the previous Government's $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund. Labour has fired back at Peters, claiming Winston's comments reflect a chaotic and uncontrolled Government. NZ Herald political repo...

Niva and Yotam Kay are determined to encourage people to craft meals with home-grown or locally sourced food. The duo behind the best-selling guide The Abundant Garden  are back with a new book sharing their insight into crafting fermented food through new recipes.  Niva and Yotam say these recipes are designed to ensure a summer gardening boom lasts through the colder months. "The ability to do i...

Most Christmas imagery depicts snow, woolly jumpers and yule logs- which doesn't translate over to the Southern Hemisphere so easily.  Kiwi singer/songwriter Anna Coddington teamed up with Story Hemi-Morehouse to create 'Blue, Blue Christmas'- a children's book depicting the traditional Kiwi summer Christmas. She says she appreciates the wintery Christmas aesthetic, but found it impossible to re-e...

Excited Kiwi mountain runners came together to run through the Kepler Track in the Fiordland National Park. The mountain race, which takes place every year on the first Saturday of December, sees entrants run the entire 60km of the track- a journey that takes trampers 3 to 4 days to complete. Race director Steve Norris says it's 'incredible' to watch people complete this as a personal challenge. "...

Omid Scobie’s new book   Endgame has been scrutinised after the Dutch translation accidentally exposed racism within the royal ranks. This version was immediately pulled from shelves after it was discovered the book revealed the identities of the two royals who voiced concerns about Harry and Meghan's then-unborn child. Daily Mirror royal editor and Pod Save The King host Russell Myers says the pu...

Gosh, we live in an amazing country.    There’s been plenty of talk this year about how we’ve lost our mojo and the country has lost its way with the cost of living, the state of our health and education systems - and they’re all appropriate conversations to have. But if you get the chance to step away from your day to day concerns and get out into the wild, you’re quickly reminded there’s so much...

Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly: this is another of his books with two of his big characters both starring – Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch (who are half brothers). Haller has agreed to represent a woman who’s in prison for killing her husband who was a sheriff’s deputy, and he hires Harry Bosch to investigate it. The sheriff’s department closes ranks as he starts digging and it’s soon appare...

Thanksgiving Day has come and gone in America, and another Macy's parade has swept through the streets of New York City. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a yearly fixture, having only been cancelled three times in its 95 year history. BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton explained the significance of the event, and recounted some memorable balloon mishaps. Read more about Megan's take on the para...

How is it that so much of what’s happening across the world remains both physically and mentally aloof from you and I, on an ongoing basis?   Sure, we talk about the war in Ukraine, we mutter comments of condemnation about the atrocities unfolding in The Gaza Strip; but what is it that any of us do that actually makes a difference?    Our new Government along with Australia and Canada’s – are also...

This week on the Sunday Panel, broadcaster Brodie Kane joined Roman Travers to discuss the following issues of the week- and more! Is the New Zealand Government doing enough to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza? Should we expect the newly-formed coalition to do more about the issues? Controversial book 'Welcome to Sex' has been given unrestricted classification in New Zealand- inspiring back...

Rosemary and olive focaccia: 500 gm flour 455 ml tepid water 1 tsp salt 1 tsp yeast 2 x sticks rosemary, leaves removed and chopped 1 cup olives In a bowl mix together flour, salt and the rosemary. Add water and yeast and combine until you have a dough, and all flour is mixed in. Place into an oiled container with the lid on and place in a warm spot. Every 20 min over 1 1/2 hours, fold the dough f...

The ability to get around any city through an online map service is only possible thanks to satellites in space helping to guide us to our destination. Satellites are also crucial for world-wide communication and connection as well as monitoring weather and climate change. While all of this sounds amazing, our increased desire for more means that the number of satellites in orbit is expected to in...

The contradictory messages surrounding nutrition can create a lot of extra health-related confusion. Every week, new research reveals something new about the food we eat, leaving several scratching their heads over the healthiest choice to make. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains how to get around the confusion and maintain a balanced diet. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/liste...

'47 Ronin' director Carl Rinsch was given millions to develop a sci-fi series for Netflix- a series that will never see the light of day. It was revealed that Rinsch allegedly spent some of the $55 million provided by Netflix on stocks and Dogecoin, before spending more money on sports cars and luxury goods. Netflix has since cancelled the planned 13-episode series. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newal...

Comedian and self-proclaimed 'people's princess of Aotearoa' Chris Parker is set to tour the country in the new year. Parker's had a busy few months- he's managed to win the inaugural Topp Prize and make NZ Listener Magazine’s Top 100 most intriguing people. His show 'Give Me One Good Reason Why I Shouldn’t Throw My Phone Off This Bridge' will hit stages in June and July 2024. "For me, it's about...

Chris Luxon says the three parties have figured out their mechanisms for working together in Government. National, ACT and New Zealand First recently signed a coalition deal, and Luxon will officially become the Prime Minister on Monday. The trio are expected to hold individual meetings and have set up a relationship where they can easily pick up the phone to one another. NZ Herald political edito...