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Afternoons

Jesse Mulligan presents an upbeat mix of the curious and the compelling, ranging from the stories of the day to the great questions of our time.
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Episodes

Making sense of the new Road User Charges

The biggest change in fifty years to how our roading network is funded was announced this week. Petrol tax is out and instead drivers will pay based on how much they travel. This change affects more than 3 million of us, so we had questions. The AA's Policy Director Martin Glynn helps explain what this announcement means.

Aug 08, 20259 min

Food with chef Gareth Stewart

There's no denying it is hard to be in hospitality right now; the news is filled with long standing establishments closing their doors as people struggle to find the money to dine out. Heart of the city is keen to get people back into restaurants, August is Restaurant Month and this year's theme is don't try this at home. To tell us more and share a recipe is chef Gareth Stewart from InterContinental's Advieh restaurant.

Aug 08, 20258 min

Film Review: Dominic Corry shares his NZIFF picks.

Dominic Corry joins Jesse with his latest picks. Courtesy of the New Zealand International Film Festival, The Weed Eaters; Toitu: Visual Sovereignty and Eddington. Weapons - opening in cinemas today.

Aug 08, 202513 min

Freaky Friday

If you've got a story to tell - we're talking haunting, serendipity, the odd UFO - then please get in touch. It's 2101 on the text or afternoons@rnz.co.nz Today Dave from Whangarei shares his creepy tale.

Aug 08, 20259 min

Masterchef Australia: Ben MacDonald

For all those Masterchef Australia fans out there, we have a treat for you. We've got this season's Kiwi contestant Ben MacDonald in the Auckland studio Now just a warning, if you haven't seen last night's episode and you're worried about spoilers please don't click on the link to listen! Ben has been competing in this year's MasterChef Australia: Back to Win season, eleven years after first appearing on the show in 2014 where he placed sixth.

Aug 08, 20258 min

Northland's first milk bank for babies

Just over two weeks ago, the He Piropiro Waiu Human Milk Bank opened in Northland. It is the first for the region and will provide valuable donated breast milk for sick babies particularly those born prematurely. Previously these babies would mainly have received infant formula but when their mother's milk isn't available, experts say donated breast milk is the next best thing. Sue Bree is the director of midwifery for Northland.

Aug 08, 202510 min

The industry that is desperate for more staff

Yesterday on the show we were joined by recruitment adviser Ingrid Osbourne. She shared tips for making yourself stand out from the crowd in a tough job market. But lots of you got in touch with a sure way to get hired - be a mechanic. One of those people - Ruben Smith - is a mechanic of 32 years.

Aug 08, 20259 min

Why ACC needs to offer more support for head injuries

Awareness of the impacts of concussion has grown significantly in recent years but advocates say many sufferers still struggle to get the right support from ACC following a diagnosis. Brain injury support group Headway has been campaigning for years for changes to the way ACC manages people with Traumatic Brain Injuries CEO Stacey Mowbray joins Jesse.

Aug 08, 202512 min

Solving the World's Problems: Artistic licence with impressions

When projects in Wellington get mooted, there are often artists impressions of the project showing Wellington on a brilliantly sunny day, with well-dressed joggers going past, sober teenagers discussing world issues and no homeless anywhere. The reality is different and council's artists impressions - with roofed bus stops and fences that aren't actually what will go there are being called into question. Dave Armstrong talks to Jesse about this and other issues he says need solving.

Aug 07, 20259 min

NZ Sporting History: Grant Elliot aka the Hairy Javelin

The enduring image of Grant Elliott hitting a six to send New Zealand into their first ever One Day Cricket World Cup Final in 2015 - brought many New Zealanders to tears. Also making headlines in the aftermath of that historic victory - the sportsmanship he displayed in extending a hand to the South African bowler he had just dispatched - Dale Steyn - as he lay devastated on the ground. Nicknamed the Hairy Javelin, Grant began his cricketing career in his native South Africa. But a move to New ...

Aug 07, 202529 min

Group Chat: Sydney Sweeney, Love later in life and more

The topics dominating your group chats .. today Kate Rodger and Olivia Wilson are here with a veritable buffet of issues from the continuing fallout over American Eagle's Sydney Sweeney ad, some romance for the over 50s, to the latest addition in Kim Khardashian's Skims line.

Aug 07, 202513 min

Creating sustainable potato chips

Samantha Baldwin, Science Group Leader at Plant & Food Research, is nominated for the AJ Park Commercialisation Impact Award for a new variety of potatoes.

Aug 07, 20257 min

How to find work in a challenging job market

New Zealand's unemployment rate has risen to 5.2 percent - the highest level since 2020 - which means it is pretty grim out there for job seekers. We ask the CEO and founder of Integrity recruitment Ingrid Osborne to share her advice.

Aug 07, 202518 min

Project Tongariro and Greening Taupo Day

This week for Our Changing World, we're doing things a little differently and we catch up with Claire Concannon in person! Claire has been out and about in the central North Island learning about a community conservation project.

Aug 06, 202511 min

"It's not just the phones": How to parent in 2025

Puberty starts earlier, social media is everywhere, and the rise in adolescent mental health challenges is real. It's hard to be a teenager in 2025. The way we parent and teach our teens is shaped by the myths we inherit, what we did when we were teenagers and the science of brain development says Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist Matt Richtel. His new book draws on research and personal stories, offering insights into what drives teen behavior and the rising mental health crisis....

Aug 06, 202522 min

Easy Eats: Lamb Neck Stew

Lamb neck chops are an inexpensive and absolutely delicious cut of meat. They are rich and tender when slow cooked. Using the slow cooker means this meal can come together while you're at work. A quick blast in the oven at the end will give you the lovely caramelisation that oven cooking yields. Serve with kumara mash and some sautéed winter greens. Here is the recipe.

Aug 06, 20257 min

Heading Off: Would you fancy a Disney Cruise?

Christina Persico is the bulletin editor for our sister station RNZ Pacific which broadcasts into the region. She is also a fan of cruising - Disney cruising in particular. She has no kids but last summer went on a five-night Disney cruise and is doing another one this Christmas.

Aug 06, 20259 min

Jane Campion's pop-up film school is making waves

A few years ago Oscar and Palme d'Or-winning Kiwi filmmaker Dame Jane Campion announced a pop-up film school called 'A Wave in the Ocean'. The project was supported by Netflix and ran as a 12-month intensive mentorship programme for creatives with significant film experience. Well now the course is reaping results - one of the short films that emerged from it has now been selected to compete at the Venice International Film Festival. 'Lion Rock' was co-directed by Prisca Bouchet, she spoke to Je...

Aug 06, 202512 min

How Hastings Library is turning up the heat this winter

It's still winter for a couple more weeks and it's still pretty cold but if you're in Hastings you can Turn Up the Heat at your local library. Now in its ninth year, this adult only reading challenge is all about encouraging adults in the local community not only to read but to step outside their comfort zone and - perhaps most importantly of all - to connect. Kristen Clothier is the Learning & Discovery Team Leader for Hastings District Libraries and she joined Jesse.

Aug 06, 20258 min

Sticks, Stones and words can hurt you

A major new study published in a British medical journal has found that verbal abuse in childhood can leave mental health scars as deep and long-lasting as those caused by physical abuse Researchers pooled data from seven relevant studies, involving over 20,000 adults from England and Wales While childhood physical abuse has halved in recent decades, reports of verbal abuse are on the rise the study found that roughly 20% of those born after 1969 reported childhood verbal abuse, compared to unde...

Aug 06, 202514 min

Update on Oz with Brad Foster

Adding to the trans-Tasman rivalry, two New Zealanders won at Australia's TV Awards, the Logies. Sam Neill and Guy Montgomery were winners on the night.

Aug 05, 20256 min

Book Critic: Julia Alvarez & Josephine Baker

Book critic Bill Hastings gives his latest recommendations; Julia Alvarez, The Cemetery of Untold Stories (Little Brown, 2025) and Josephine Baker, Fearless and Free - A Memoir (Penguin Random House, 2025) trans. Anam Zafar and Sophie Lewis.

Aug 05, 202510 min

Tech Tuesday with Tim Batt: YouTube using AI to check users age

Tech giant Google is taking action to verify how old YouTube users are. It says it will use AI to estimate the age of users and then show them age appropriate content. The move comes after Australia confirmed it would ban children under 16 from using YouTube. Tim shares details with Emile.

Aug 05, 202510 min

Feature interview: "Mankeeping" is it really a thing?

Male friendships are reportedly in a recession, so it seems many men are leaning heavily on their partners for emotional support. Dr Angelica Ferrara coined a term for that, Mankeeping. It explains how women often take on the roll of managing men's social lives, from checking on their friendships to being their sole emotional sounding board. Dr. Ferrara is a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics and her research explains why "Mankeeping" impacts not just men themselves, but everyone ...

Aug 04, 202527 min
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