The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

The winter blues are over and spring is around the corner- meaning we can see more sunlight again. With daylight saving time being a fortnight away, Kiwis can get used to longer daylight hours and enjoy more health benefits. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says sunlight boosts our serotonin levels and slows down melatonin production, which contributes to happiness and wellbeing. LISTEN...

Rolled chicken saltimbocca Cook time: 15 minutes  Prep time: 15 minutes  Serves: 6  12 boneless and skinless chicken thighs   24 slices of prosciutto   12 large fresh sage leaves   2 lemons   Salt and pepper  Pre-heat the oven to 180*c Take the chicken thighs and cut horizontally into two thinner pieces.  Make up the saltimbocca, take a 30cm length of tin-foil and lay down. On top of that lay a 20...

Our shoulders and our elbows – joints in our bodies that we usually take for granted unless they give us aches and pains.  However these two joints are unique, and when it comes to primates we are the only subgroup to be able to throw small object fast and hard. While a chimpanzee might be twice as strong as a human, it can only throw an object 30 km/hour, which is nothing compared to human athlet...

It's been a disastrous week for big music festivals, as Burning Man and Electric Zoo attendees in the US were left disappointed. Electric Zoo, the three-day EDM festival held in New York was affected by production and capacity issues, with day 1 being cancelled and ticket holders being turned away. Burning Man was impacted by storms, with 72,000 festivalgoers being trapped by mud and extreme weath...

It's a big week in the world of politics, as Treasury is set to publish the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) on Tuesday. All documents will be published on the Treasury's website shortly after 1.00pm on the day. ZB Chief Political Reporter Aaron Dahmen says this information will provide an indication of how much cash the Government has on hand ahead of the election- which will likel...

The second day of the 2023 Rugby World Cup has just wrapped up. Australia have kicked off their Rugby World Cup campaign by putting Georgia to the sword 35-15 at Stade de France in Pool C. Ireland have crushed Romania 82-8 and Italy have swept Namibia 52-8. England have eased the weight public pressure with a resounding 27-10 win over Argentina in their opening Rugby World Cup Pool D match. ZB rug...

Doug Gold has had a long and successful creative career in both media and literature. He began as a copywriter, founded More FM and then went on to consult for major media networks around the world.   He eventually switched to writing novels, with his debut book becoming a success that sparked a bidding war amongst publishers. Following on from the success of 'The Note Through The Wire', he return...

Dutch writer Tim Voors has hiked his way through several regions- inspiring his creative projects. Voors is a 'thru-walker' who completed Aotearoa's infamous Te Araroa Trail in 2018, a journey that took 5 months and 4 million steps. He turned the adventure into a new memoir- Not Alone: Walking the Te Araroa Trail through New Zealand. "I asked myself the question- how can I try and give nature a st...

National's Chris Bishop vows the use of emergency social housing motels in Rotorua will come to an end. The party will do so through building more social housing and implementing tighter eligibility criteria so people have to use grants in areas they are already living. Chris Bishop says emergency housing in Rotorua has become a 'massive' permanent institution, with the Government pumping millions...

Disappointing weekend for the Warriors, with the team getting trounced on Saturday. They were beaten 32-6 by the Penrith Panthers in Sydney, down 20-nil at the break with unforced errors hampering their efforts. The Warriors will get a second chance next weekend, and face off against either the Newcastle Knights or Canberra Raiders in Auckland. Warriors CEO Cameron George says the team's position...

So the first week of campaigning is underway, and I’m already exhausted by the scale of scheduled events, appearances and the very bright pink ACT bus I encountered on Friday. And I’m mostly just watching it unfold from the comfort of my computer.   How good is it to see the politicians on the road, selling their wares and finally giving us their vision for New Zealand through their policy announc...

Prophet Song  by Paul Lynch. This is on the longlist for the Booker Prize this year (shortlist due to be announced in late September. It’s a bit dystopian, although as with  The Handmaid’s Tale it all feels a bit close to home ad almost in the here and now to me. Set in Dublin as Ireland is becoming a fascist state - begins with Eilish, a mother of four, answering the door to find men from the new...

This week on the Sunday Panel, commentator Irene Gardiner and Capital director Ben Thomas weighed in on the following issues of the week- and more! Labour has announced they'll roll out free dental care for under-30s if they get re-elected. They also plan to expand the workforce to support this policy. Is this a strong policy for Labour? Will it get votes? Freedoms NZ have been hijacking political...

It's an unfortunately common scenario- being faced with an endlessly long line when you're trying to get through the airport. Travellers everywhere have complained about the 'chaotic' state of Auckland Airport, and tales of 2-hour wait times have surfaced after the borders re-opened. BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton recommends checking the Auckland Airport app and planning ahead early to avoid bei...

There's many benefits to starting a strenuous workout, but there's one unexpected drawback to consider after the fact. Delayed-onset muscle soreness can peak hours or days after physical activity, and it seems to affect people of all fitness levels. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says this condition is linked to temporary microtears- and it can be alleviated by hydration and warmup exe...

Hot and crispy chicken:  Prep time: 10 minutes  Cooking time: 20 minutes  2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut in half lengthways  2 skinless legs, cut into thigh and drumstick  2 tbsp Dijon mustard  1 egg, beaten  2 tbsp cornflour  1 tsp chili powder  1 tsp smoked paprika powder  1 tbsp garlic powder  Salt and white pepper  2 cup panko crumbs  Preheat an oven to 180*c. Place the chicken into...

The five Kiwi songs nominated for the 2023 APRA Silver Scroll Awards have been confirmed- and there's some big names in the mix. Marlon Williams, The Beths, Avantdale Bowling Club, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Tiny Ruins have all made the shortlist ahead of October's ceremony. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says the awards celebrate the craft of songwriting, with each nominated artist being judg...

The Labour Party successfully announced their latest campaign promise- amid ongoing interruptions from political protestors. Labour's announced free dental care for under 30s - coming into force in stages from 2025. It's also promised to increase the dental course cap by 50 percent to grow the workforce.  However, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins' speech was hijacked and derailed by Freedoms NZ suppor...

The All Blacks are less than a week away from their highly anticipated World Cup kick-off. Next Saturday, New Zealand will face off against France in the opening match of the Rugby World Cup- a match that could help the All Blacks lift the trophy for a record-breaking fourth time. Former All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu says there's a lot of excitement ahead of the match- but the team will be eager...

A Sydney-based mountaineer has set her sights on reaching the world's highest mountains in just three years. Allie Pepper made history as the first Australian woman to summit Broad Peak on the China/Pakistan border- the first phase of her grand plan. She aims to beat the speed record for climbing the world's 14 highest mountains without supplemental oxygen by 2026. "In terms of statistics- it's 10...

It's a big weekend for Ruapehu Alpine Lifts- the company celebrated its 70th anniversary. This celebration was left in limbo after the company was put into administration in October following months of financial uncertainty. A last-minute bailout in June kept Ruapehu Alpine Lifts as temporary operators for the 2023 ski season. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts CEO Jono Dean says this milestone is still worth c...

So we are off and running. After saying I felt political parties have been in campaign mode since the beginning of the year, they officially are now Parliament has adjourned.     I enjoy a general election.    I like the banter, the contest of ideas, the showmanship, and how politics and politicians come to the people. It’s a bit more exciting than watching Parliamentary TV on a quiet Tuesday afte...

The US has entered peak 'hurricane season', with a high percentage of tropical cyclones set to hit the nation in the coming weeks. Hurricane Idalia has torn its way through Florida, and The National Hurricane Centre is monitoring at least 4 other named storms. Lieutenant Colonel Mark Withee, a Weather Reconnaissance Squadron navigator, says each hurricane season is different, with some years being...

The Bone Tree  by Airana Ngarewa. There’s been lots of chatter about this one since it was published last week. It’s the story of two young brothers who are surviving on their own after losing first their mother and then their father. They’re completely outside the system - haven’t been to school for years and when CYPS came calling their father, while still alive, sent them away with a flea in th...

BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton's gallivanted off to Melbourne- and she's got some suggestions for where to eat, visit and shop. She's staying at the newly refurbished Rydges Hotel, a location that allows her to walk through the city and experience Melbourne's theatre district, the MCG, and Old Melbourne Gaol. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.