Afternoons

For the love of chocolate - a Wairarapa man's success story

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A Wairarapa man's love for the art of chocolate has won his brand 14 medals at an international competition. Johnty Tatham from Lucid Chocolatier scoo...

Why the Government is being taken to court over climate change

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A high court case against Minister for Climate Change Simon Watts kicked off today The case is brought by Lawyers for Climate Action & The Environment...

Pain at the Pump: The latest on petrol prices

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We're starting the show talking about petrol because right now Finance Minister Nicola Willis is holding a press conference to discuss the latest petr...

We put the spotlight on the only living bear in NZ

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The only bear in New Zealand lives at Wellington Zoo. Her name is Sasa and she's not a panda, brown, or polar bear, but the smallest of the eight bear...

Weekend Stuff: Gardening with Lynda Hallinan

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about gardening now, our green thumbed guru Lynda Hallinan is with me to share some seasonal tips and tricks.

Food: Panfried Duck Breast with Balinese Spices

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk food now because Connie Clarkson, the manager of Auckland Council's The Kitchen Project is with me, with a great sounding duck breast recip...

Film Review: Project Hail Mary and Oscars Chat!

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Afternoons film critic Kate Rodger joins Jesse to review Ryan Gosling's latest offering Project Hail Mary and to preview the Oscars.

Chris Parker wants you to take a good hard look at him

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

One of our favourite comedians Chris Parker has just announced his latest tour, "Take a Good Hard Look at Me" Jesse gets the inside word about what to...

Freaky Friday: March 13 2026

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for Freaky Friday, your home for spooky stories and eerie coincidences, if you have an experience to share or maybe you have a scary campfir...

Wellington Library is back! So, what does it look like?

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Tomorrow is a big day for the capital, with the grand opening of the new Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Central Library. The central library was one of Well...

A new survey shows we're losing faith in the internet

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this week we saw a headline that piqued our interest, it said New Zealand is losing faith in the internet. The Newsroom article is based on a ...

Meet the Rotorua teenager squashing the competition

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Animaia Payne has won major squash titles including the Oceania Junior Championships, the New Zealand Juniors, and a gold medal at the Aims Games.

How drones and other technology is transforming the battlefield

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Last night SYOS Aerospace won Business of The Year at the Tauranga Business awards, recognised for its "rapid growth and global relevance".

Should your kids watch the news?

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The world can be a scary place for kids, especially when it comes to recent global events. Sometimes it feels like watching the news should almost com...

History: Have mid-term leadership changes ever been successful?

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As British Prime Minister Harold Wilson once said, a week is a long time in politics, and that's a sentiment that will no doubt be resonating with Pri...

Solving the World's Problems: What is going on in Wellington?

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This is our regular segment where we like to solve some problems, this week Dave Armstrong joins Jesse to discuss some Wellington woes.

A Z of Aotearoa Q is for Queenstown!

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Time for A-Z of Aotearoa, and we've finally made it to the tricky end of the alphabet! Today we're taking on Q for Queenstown. Queenstown - known for ...

Opera and Ballet fight back after Timothee Chalamet comments

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for group chat with Kate Rodger, Culture 101's Perlina Lau and Afternoons' Senior Producer Olivia Wilson. This is our regular segment where ...

What can be done with red stickered buildings

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When a natural disaster strikes and the relevant council deems a building unsafe, those buildings often sit dormant for a long time, and in many cases...

Auckland University's ClockTower turns 100!

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's a landmark day at Auckland University, and "landmark" is a fitting word as they're celebrating the centenary of their iconic ClockTower. The towe...

Celebrating Women in Film and Television

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Women in Film and Television New Zealand - also known as WIFT- is a not-for-profit organisation that now has over 1300 members. Its purpose is to cele...

How can we make sure NZ is ready for a worst-case scenario?

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With no end in sight for the Middle East conflict, more and more conversations are turning to oil supplies. While our leaders have been quick to reass...

Feature: Why you should change your dopamine driven behaviour

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dopamine is known as the brain's "happiness chemical". It's what we blame when we eat a whole bag of chips, a block of chocolate or doomscroll on soci...

Bookmarks with Author Josie Sharpiro

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week author Josie Shapiro joins Jesse. Her bestselling and much-loved debut novel 'Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts' won the inaugura...

Easy Eats: Hoisin beef with broccoli sesame rice

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly Gibney shares some Easy Eats with us, this week it is hoisin beef with broccoli sesame rice. Beef mince is a crowd-pleasing, economical protein ...

Heading off to Mexico!

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Time for Heading Off, this is our chance to share in your travel adventures without leaving the house. Today we join Tess Woolcock on her trip to Mexi...

Why is there debate about making English an official language?

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There's been plenty of commentary around a Bill that's before Parliament which seeks to make English an official language of New Zealand. It's part of...

Who's coming to the 2026 Auckland Writers Festival?

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The programme for the 2026 Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tamaki has just dropped, and it's looking to be a star-studded line-up for book lovers....

What can you do about Millipedes?

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

You might recall that this time last year we spoke to someone from Wellington's South Coast whose house had been inundated by 100s of Portuguese milli...

Petrol Pain: Is now the time to go electric?

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How much petrol, diesel and jet fuel we have in the country depends on who you talk to it seems and whether it includes so called "stock on the water"...

Feature Interview: Why going supernuclear pays off

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Most of us agree that it takes a village to raise a child, but that village should keep going way past childhood says Gillian Morris. The style of liv...

You're the Judge: Friendship Fallout

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Every Tuesday we present an issue and get your thoughts on how to resolve it. This week we're looking at friends and what lengths people should take t...

Podcast Critic: Sick to Death and The Birth Keepers

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Afternoons Podcast Critic Jemima Huston joins Jesse to share what she's been listening to. Sick to Death by The Australian The Birth Keepers by The Gu...

Music feature: Lou'ana on ABBA!

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If any pop group in history had the knack for making a hit, it was ABBA. In less than 10 years, they had 25 top 40 hits in the UK, and 9 number-ones. ...

Book Critic: Books for teens and tweens

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Catherine Ross is the Director of Library at Auckland Grammar School and she always has great picks to share for younger readers. Here is her list tod...

Mayoral Minutes: Central Otago District Mayor Tamah Alley

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for Mayoral minutes, our new segment where we speak with a local mayor about the challenges they're facing, how they're working to solve the...

Get ready to dance: Boney M's Maizie Williams is here!

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The heyday of disco will make its long-awaited return to New Zealand when 'Boney M Featuring Maizie Williams' arrives next month. Maizie was an origin...

Where is your money is going when you give to charity?

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A new report analysing more than 6,000 charitable grants in Canterbury has found a significant gap between what funders say they prioritise and where ...

Puppet master: how do you make a fake shark realistic?

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Across the March and April school holidays, a theatre production called 'Swimming with Sharks' will be running at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Th...

It seems like Covid-19 is back - so what can you do to protect yourself?

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Wastewater analysis from PHF Science shows the number of cases are currently at the highest rate for more than six months and figures from Health NZ s...

What have we learnt from the Covid-19 Inquiry?

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

To find out what is says, and what we can learn from NZ's response, Professor Marc Wilson from Victoria University's school of Psychology chats to Jes...

Feature: Is it time to seriously consider nuclear energy?

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Nuclear energy is having a moment. There are influencers on social media and platforms like YouTube explaining why they think nuclear energy is better...

TV Critic: Why Riot Women has got reviewers raving!

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

TV Producer and Afternoons TV Critic Philippa Rennie joins Jesse to review the following: Riot Women (TVNZ+) Being Gordon Ramsay (Netflix)

Expert Feature: Everything about cosmetic surgery

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for our expert feature, and today we're taking a closer look at cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic procedures are growing in popularity here in NZ, ...

Jesse Goes Clubbing: Pre Vintage Car Clubs

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Every Monday Jesse hits the clubs. If you've got a club we need to know about, be that a Jigsaw puzzle club, pug club, or stamp society get in touch. ...

OZ Update: What's happening in Australia?

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We find out what's hitting the headlines in Australia with our man on the ground there, Brad Foster. This week we're discussing: The Federal Governmen...

Here Now: Kadambari Raghukumar talks to Iranians living in NZ

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A week into the conflict in Iran, more than 1300 Iranian civilians have been killed, according to numbers from the UN. Here in NZ, many Iranians are f...

The therapy that has the potential to transform cancer treatment

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Medical researchers say New Zealanders are missing out on a transformative cancer treatment that's been proven to make a difference. It's called CAR T...

The Kiwi fashion brand turning clothes into a soil enhancer

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Auckland fashion brand 'Kowtow' says it has achieved a world first, turning their garments, once they reach the end of their life, into organic biocha...

Iran Conflict: Reaction to the new leader from an Iranian NZer

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iran's Assembly of Experts named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country's new Supreme leader. He replaces his father who was killed by American and Israeli a...

Why conservationists are celebrating a wetapunga success story

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse talks to Auckland Zoo's Curator of Ectotherms, Don McFarlane, about wetapunga. Wait till you hear the success story of how this critter has been...

Weekend Stuff: How to change a room's function

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for our Weekend Stuff segment; this week we are talking with Sylvia Sanford about changing the role of a room. Please send any questions you...

Food: Nectarine and Raspberry Pudding Cake with the Hungry Cook

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The mornings might be getting cooler but Olivia Galletly, also known as The Hungry Cook, has a recipe that keeps that summer feeling lingering a littl...

Swooner, crooner Hemi Hemingway performs LIVE!

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today on NZ Live - Aotearoa New Zealand's best live music showcase - we're joined by Hemi Hemmingway. Hemi, real name Shaun Blackwell, released his se...

Frankenstein from the Bride's Perspective - Does it work?

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Film critic Dominic Corry joins Jesse to review: The Bride! Tenor - My Name Is Pati Charli XCX movie The Moment

Freaky Friday

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Time for Freaky Friday, our home for your terrifying tales. We're talking ghosts and ghouls, UFO's and unexplained happenings. If you've got a story f...

Take the plunge with an award-winning dive researcher

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Simon Mitchell has won a major award for his work advancing dive practice worldwide, receiving the NOGI Science award from the Academy of Un...

Celebrating locals selling local produce

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

National Farmers' Markets Week kicks off tomorrow, an annual celebration encouraging shoppers to ditch the supermarket and give their local market a g...

Politics: How low can Luxon go?

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What on earth is going on with the National Party? That's the question that seems to be on lots of lips as new polling shows the party only a couple o...

How to have awkward, but important, chats with your teenager

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's not headline news that raising kids isn't easy: you survive the sleepless nights, get through the toddler tantrums, navigate the primary school p...

Your Money with Mary Holm

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk money matters, Mary Holm is with Jesse and today she's turning her attention to investing in shares.

NZ Sporting History: Basketball's Dillon Boucher

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Time for sporting history, where we look back at the memorable moments in sport and talk to athletes who changed the game. Today Jesse is joined by Di...

Relationships: How do you work with a thin-skinned colleague?

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Every fortnight Professor Kirsty Ross from Massey University's School of Psychology joins us to help with some relationship pickles - whether between ...

Find out how commercial whaling has changed mating habits

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A groundbreaking study's revealed that even 50 years after the end of commercial whaling, its devastating impacts continue to shape humpback whale beh...

The Roots Foundation Sound System's Changing of the Guard

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Roots Foundation Sound System is New Zealand's longest running DJ collective, and now it's passed the torch on to the next generation of DJs Jesse...

Explainer: How do you know if solar is right for you?

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With all this talk of oil shortages, solar power looks more and more appealing, but how do you know whether it could work for you and if you've alread...

Smashed it! Chris Harris on that amazing Black Caps performance

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We're starting the show with that epic performance by the Black Caps. The team stunned South Africa in the T20 semifinal; crushing them to win by nine...

Feature Interview: Will distraction be our undoing?

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Whenever we talk about misinformation, the state of democracy, or what new technology is doing to public debate, one book comes up over and over again...

Bookmarks with Ockham NZ Book Award finalist Laura Vincent!

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Time for Bookmarks, that's our weekly feature where we spend some time chatting to interesting people about what interests them. Today Laura Vincent i...

Easy Eats: Spring Onion and Black Pepper Mac 'n' Cheese

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly Gibney joins Jesse to share a recipe - click here if you would like it.

Heading Off on a roadie through Africa

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you have a other travel story you'd like to share on Heading Off - then get in touch on 2101 or [email protected] Today we're chatting to Chri...

Stories from Our Changing World

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Our Changing World host Claire Concannon chats to Jesse about what she's been discovering this week. Today they talk about the native species centrost...

From farm to eco-reserve: How Tahi was created

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Twenty years ago, Tahi was a struggling cattle farm, today it's been transformed into a flourishing 800-acre eco-reserve on the Northland coast, home ...

Behind the scenes with Sol3 Mio's Pene Patti

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

You'll know Pene Pati as one third of the much-loved Sol3 Mio From singing in church halls in South Auckland with his brother Amitai Pati, to sold-out...

New All Blacks Coach announced - so what do experts think?

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

David Rennie has been named the new All Blacks coach, beating out Jamie Joseph for what many call the most pressured job in world rugby. The former Ch...

Iran Conflict: What could new leadership in Iran look like?

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In the hours after the attack on Iran, President Trump urged Iranians to "take over your government" and Prime Minister Netanyahu echoed that theme ar...

'People Pleasers' actually living in fear?

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

People pleasers are everywhere. They're the ones who put the needs of others first, carrying the load without complaint. They laugh at bad jokes, drop...

You're the Judge: Should I track my elderly parents' location?

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Tuesdays on Afternoons means we share a dilemma and you, our audience, decide the outcome. This week we're looking at a question from listener Katie, ...

Tech Tuesday: Some tips on making AI work for you

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A battle is being waged in the United States between a company called Anthropic and the US Pentagon, and it's all over rules about using AI for mass d...

Book Critic: A Selection of Crime Novels

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Afternoons book critic Catherine Robertson has been binge reading crime novels and joins Jesse to share her thoughts on: City of Vengeance by D.V. Bis...

Mayoral Minutes with Porirua's Anita Baker

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for Mayoral minutes, where we speak with a local mayor about the challenges they're facing, how they're working to solve them, and what make...

Exciting Local Conservation Work in Progress!

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We were delighted to receive an email last week from the Mohua Marine Trust, one of Afternoons' Critter of the week t-shirt fund recipients They wante...

Why experts say the Misuse of Drugs Act needs to be thrown out

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There are calls for the Misuse of Drugs act to be thrown out with experts arguing that rather than reducing drug-related harm, the 50-year-old act is ...

We meet an artist helping shape NZ's design story

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week, there's a new exhibition in Auckland that brings together some New Zealand's most exciting designers and makers. It's called 'In the Making...

Explainer: How do Shipping Channels and Supply Chains Work?

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout the world there are certain strategic passageways on which global trade is dependent on. One of those is The Strait of Hormuz. It's a narro...

Feature: Why Patience is more than a virtue

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Most of us say we want more patience and we want it now. But suffering a bit while waiting in line or for a text response from a friend is good for yo...

TV Critic: How to Get to Heaven from Belfast Reviewed

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Actor Claire Chitham joins Jesse to share what she's been watching on the box. Today she reviews: How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (Netflix) Wonder M...

Expert Feature: How can you become more confident?

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Whether it's the confidence to walk into a work meeting and give a presentation, to share an opinion, give a public speech or feel comfortable in a so...

Jesse Goes Clubbing: This week he joins the Rock Hounds

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's Monday afternoon and time for me get suited and booted and hit the clubs. Jesse has been a day visitor to lots of clubs already, boosting his int...

OZ Update: What's happening in Australia?

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Our chance to check in with Brad Foster, our man on the ground in Australia, about what's hitting headlines over there.

Here Now

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Mayu Tanigaito, of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, joins Kadambari Raghukumar on this episode of the podcast Here Now, to talk about her journey from Ja...

The best way to watch tomorrow night's lunar eclipse

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Star gazers get ready, tomorrow night you'll get a front row seat to a total lunar eclipse, and it'll be your last chance to experience one until 2028...

How 'Pele' went from a home to a mainstream store!

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When our next guest Noeleen Tuala had her first grandchild, she found it really hard to find any baby clothing or products that reflected her Pasifika...

Iran Conflict: What does it mean for New Zealanders?

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For analysis of the US- Israel strikes and to discuss New Zealand's response, Jesse is joined again by retired Major-General John Howard. Major Genera...

Iran Conflict: Getting an Iranian New Zealander Perspective

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iranian New Zealand Barrister Samira Taghavi joins Jesse to discuss what the conflict in Iran means to her and what changes she hopes it brings.

The Pre-Panel

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Wallace Chapman previews tonight's instalment of The Panel.

What is going on with cicadas right now?

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Love them or hate them - it seems like cicadas are very busy, and very loud right now. But are they actually? To help find out, and answer any questio...

Weekend Stuff: Why you should leave your lawn long!

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Tony Murrell of Murrell Gardens is with Jesse to offer some gardening tips and tricks, including why you should leave your lawn long in the warm tempe...

Food: Tuna crudo with maple, gochujang, citrus and coriander

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Gretchen Lowe joins me to share a stunning sounding dish and some exciting news about her cookbook My Weekend Table. Recipe is here!

NZ Live: You, Me & Everybody

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Time for our weekly showcase of Aotearoa's best musical talent, that's right, it's NZ Live. Today we're joined by a band that have been playing togeth...