Film reviewer extraordinaire Kate Rodger joins Grey Areas for another laugh-filled chat about stepping outside of her ‘lane’, dealing with feelings of overwhelm, and the progress she's making on her personal goals. Kate brings her trademark humour and wildly generous way with words to a conversation about new challenges, making time for what’s important, and never being afraid to have a good ol’ cry in the staff loos. If you want to hear more from Kate check out her earlier episode The edges of ...
Feb 21, 2024•36 min
Iconic broadcaster Robert Rakete returns to Grey Areas , joining Petra for a candid and uplifting kōrero. Robert has been discovering more of his whakapapa as he continues to learn Te Reo Māori, and shares his love of embracing the beginner's mind, facing fears and embracing failure. Plus Robert catches Petra up on his recent prostate check-up! 👀 If you want to hear more scintillating stories from Robert check out his episode Recovering identity from Season 1! Support the show: https://greyarea...
Feb 14, 2024•30 min
Two years on from her first Grey Areas appearance, Petra catches up with journalist and TVNZ's Sunday host Miriama Kamo as she's rounded out her fifth decade. Turning 50 can invite introspection and casting new vision for your life. Miriama grabs this opportunity with both hands sharing the raft of intentions she has for this season from getting braces to studying te reo Māori. In the midst of goal-setting, Petra and Miriama reflect on how to sidestep shame and resource ourselves, even when life...
Feb 07, 2024•26 min
Annie Crummer and Betty-Anne Monga along with Julia Deans and Boh Runga will be forming a powerhouse ensemble at this year's Auckland Arts Festival performance, Hear Me Roar! on March 8. Annie and Betty-Anne joined me for a korero all about creativity, collaboration and purpose. We riff on the power of music to accompany us through every season - the summers and winters of life. Music offers us a kind of hope when life gets bogged down in the grey areas and we explore how as women we can move in...
Jan 31, 2024•19 min
Add to your kete of understanding our bone health with this kōrero with Christine Gill, Executive Director of Osteoporosis New Zealand . The life cycle of these living tissues from birth to menopause and beyond is fascinating. Christine talks us through the process of bone turnover, the often misunderstood osteoporosis, the importance of achieving maximum bone strength by age 30, and the myriad factors that can influence our bone health throughout life. The good news is that it's never too early...
Nov 08, 2023•11 min
The magic of female friendships is pretty undeniable - as is the role they play in shaping us. Join us for an inspiring kōrero with long-time BFFs, broadcaster Stacey Morrison and fashion designer Kiri Nathan, who have been the epitome of friendship for over 25 years. From their first meeting at the Smoke-Free Fashion Awards to navigating marriages, children, and their respective careers, their journey is a testament to the power of enduring, intentional friendship. Stacey and Kiri also share th...
Nov 01, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 9
What does it take to become a legendary netball player? What's the journey like, and how does finding a new identity in a foreign land shape your life and an illustrious sporting career spanning over 20 years? Join me this episode for a kōrero with iconic netballer and Silver Fern, Irene Van Dyk. We hear about her experience as an immigrant athlete in New Zealand, her experience with the media, and the decisions she made around motherhood. Irene opens up about the conversation she had with Dame ...
Oct 25, 2023•58 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Here's something a little special - a crossover episode with Charlotte Cook of RNZ's Hair and Loathing ! Join us as we embark on a head to toe exploration of our relationships with hair - both on our heads and our bodies. Charlotte and I take a visit to Stephen Marr's salon for a kōrero over haircuts, we chat at my whare, and we also catch up with a few of you out on the streets of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. This kōrero we deep dive into hair's cultural implications, societal double standards, an...
Oct 18, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Ready for a hearty conversation with a trailblazer in women's sports journalism? We welcome Suzanne McFadden, an acclaimed sports journalist who's been championing women's sports in a male-dominated field. Suzanne's grit and determination have not only helped her break barriers but also led her to establish Locker Room , a platform dedicated to showcasing women's sports. She's also a Silver Sister and you know how much we love them! We dive into the heart of Suzanne's career, discussing the evol...
Oct 11, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Ever wondered if you need to see your GP because you're experiencing discomfort or itching on your vulva? You're not alone. It turns out that vulval skin conditions are incredibly common and women in Aotearoa New Zealand suffer for an average of 10 years before working up the courage to see a doctor. We've got to change that! After all, skin is skin. So let's yarn about vulval skin health. The knowledgeable Dr Harriet Kennedy (MBCHB, FRACP, FNZDS) joins us for an informative, empowering and comp...
Oct 04, 2023•56 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Family grief, the devastation of divorce, cross-generational friendships, learning Te Reo Māori and more - we talk about it all with Stuff journalist, Paula Penfold. We also discuss the challenges of the media world, the aftermath of job redundancy, and the importance of self-care in such a fast-paced profession. Paula opens up about her experience with perimenopause (and that one conversation we had about it in front of a mutual male friend), and how it ramped up her anxiety, the illusions of t...
Sep 27, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 4
It's Mental Health Awareness Week here in Aotearoa New Zealand so we chat with mental health speaker and educator and Tui-award winning artist, the talented Julia Grace . In this conversation, Julia openly shares her struggles with heartbreak and its accompanying disorientation, depression, and anxiety. We chat about recognising our coping mechanisms and the importance of compassion when looking back at our lives. We also delve into dating in her 40s and of course, her perimenopause journey and ...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 3
It's Mental Health Awareness Week here in Aotearoa, New Zealand and so I'd like to take the opportunity to introduce you to a podcast called A Moment With . A Moment With is hosted by my friend Gen Mora, Co-Founder and General Manager of Voices of Hope, a not-for-profit organisation aimed to break the stigma around mental illness. In this podcast, Gen sits down with incredible individuals who have faced mental health challenges, delving into their personal lived experiences. They also explore th...
Sep 19, 2023•10 min
In this episode, we have a kōrero with squash champion and former Race Relations Commissioner, Dame Susan Devoy (also of Celebrity Treasure Island fame!). We discuss her fight against stereotypes, the complexities of gender dynamics, and also touch on the influence of sports as a universal language and a powerful tool for fostering greater cultural understanding. Susan is a tenacious leader! But the conversation isn't just about Susan's public life. We also explore her journey through menopause ...
Sep 13, 2023•58 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Welcome to our brand new season of Grey Areas ! Can you believe we're already at Season 4?! And who better to kick it off with than the multi-talented, one and only Anika Moa. She's a māmā, a singer/songwriter, television presenter, radio host, all-round resilient wahine toa. Join us as we delve into Anika's world as she openly discusses her struggles with type 1 diabetes, depression, and the impact of ADHD on her relationships. From the highs and lows of managing her health conditions to her de...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Kia ora. Petra Bagust here, and I have been thinking a bit about what makes up the ‘grey areas’ of our lives, because I think that’s a huge part of why this podcast works. To me, a ‘grey area’ is a tricky space. A delicate space. A space that can bring, maybe discomfort or discouragement, or cause isolation. Maybe a 'grey area' is something that has been talked about using ‘you should’ or ‘you ought’ - you know, obligation language. Or it’s an area that has simply not been talked about at all. A...
Aug 30, 2023•2 min
Kia ora! I hope you are going well. Don't panic - Season 04 of Grey Areas is on the way (I promise!) While we are between seasons, I want to share another episode from my other podcast, Sunday Sanctuary . This one is called The Miracle of the Mundane and it's all about finding joy and wonder within the everyday-ness of life. If this is something you'd like to hear more of, join the Sunday Sanctuary community on Instagram at @sundaysanctuarynz, and catch a new episode every second Sunday at 7am, ...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr
Join me for the final episode of Grey Areas Season 03, where I am joined by renowned actress Jennifer Ward-Lealand, as we traverse her four-decade long journey in the world of theatre, film, and TV. Jennifer shares with us how a series of epiphanies and following her heart set her firmly on her path to becoming an actor. Listen in as Jennifer takes us on her personal journey of learning and committing to using Te Reo Māori, a task she undertook after being caught off guard by a mihi on a film se...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 8
I sat down with the incredible Lotta Dann to unpick the tangled web of our relationship with alcohol. From the tricky task of moderation to the deeper complexities of addiction, Lotta and I unshroud the often unspoken battle with the bottle. As we both navigate the challenging season of perimenopause, we reflect on the importance of mindfulness and finding the ‘sweet spot’ when it comes to contentment. We explore the power of mindful drinking and setting intentions - it’s not about total abstine...
Jul 05, 2023•57 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Broadcaster, entertainer and my brother-from-another-mother Pio Terei joins me for a conversation about the privilege it is to age - because not everyone gets to. We talk about where he's at with his journey of grief following the loss of his son Teina in 2016, the role curiosity plays in ageing well, as well as swap stories on our intergenerational living set-ups. As serious as we tried to be, plenty of laughs were had - because how could you not when you're chatting with Pio Terei? If you're i...
Jun 28, 2023•49 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Netball legend Dame Noeline Taurua is an absolute wahine toa. Dame Noeline's been a member of the Silver Ferns since the 90s - first as a player, then again as assistant coach and now as head coach since 2018. She is widely recognised as one of the greatest coaches of the sport. Dame Noeline joins Petra for a look back at the triumphs and tricky parts of her life and career that have brought her to this point, and what it takes to make your mark on the world. Song credit: Korimako , Performed by...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Brazilian-born actor and playwright Tatiana Hotere joins Petra Bagust for a poignant conversation about navigating the sudden loss of her husband Jason six years ago. Tatiana shares how debilitating her grief could be at times, a profound way she discovered to navigate those waves of grief, and the complications of grieving in community. Tatiana's play Skin Hunger was written as a way to process her grief and was performed at Auckland’s Q Theatre this year. She also blogs about grief on her webs...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Broadcaster, radio host and Sky Sport presenter Laura McGoldrick joins me for a conversation about loving the bodies we have. When she was a young girl, Laura tragically lost her cousin to a rare form of skin cancer, and years later her father-in-law, Peter Guptill, also passed away from melanoma. In this episode Laura and I talk about caring for our miraculous and marvellous skin, but then we go deeper. Laura and I explore our respective attitudes towards our bodies, and how having daughters ha...
Jun 07, 2023•58 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Michele Wilson (Tainui, Ngāti Paoa) is the founder and CEO of AWWA Period Care, a female-founded indigenous-owned business providing washable, reusable period underwear. While the business was born out of traditional Māori wisdom and practices surrounding ikura (periods), Michele did not grow up having an understanding of these. In this kōrero Michele talks about her journey to embrace and reclaim her Māori identity, and how this haerenga has given her a fresh perspective on her body and the act...
May 31, 2023•54 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Kicking off Season 3, I'm delighted to welcome this absolute legend of New Zealand comedy, Michèle A'Court ONZM. (How fun that we can now put those big important letters after her name?!) Whilst I'm only at the start of my 50s, Michèle's just put them in her rear view mirror. I wanted to glean some wisdom for this upcoming decade, and have a tonne of laughs while we're at it, so who better to chat to? We talk about encountering ageism, placing healthy boundaries, and the delight of creating mean...
May 24, 2023•54 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Kia ora e hoa mā! After six whole months, I am so excited to finally be back with you with another season of Grey Areas . Season 3 drops in a week on Thursday, 25 May and I hope you'll join me again for more kōrero with wonderful humans about those trickier parts of getting older. This season we chat with the delightful Michele A'Court about winning in your 50s, my mate Pio Terei about the privilege of ageing, and even go on an exploration of our relationship with alcohol with Lotta Dann. There'...
May 17, 2023•2 min
Kia ora! I have missed you. Exciting times - Season 03 of Grey Areas is dropping next week! It's been a whole six months since Season 02 and while we've been working away at this next season, I've also been up to a little something else called Sunday Sanctuary . It started as a live radio show on Sunday mornings on Today FM and ran for six whole weeks before the demise of the station meant it was all over. But we refused to give up on the show and it's now a podcast! Inspired by the idea of crea...
May 15, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Just wanted to pop in to say hi... and thanks for all the beautiful feedback on Season 2 of Grey Areas! I joined my mate Asher on his new show Pod-Heads and thought I'd share a snippet of that kōrero with you. You can listen to the full episode on the Pod-Heads feed over at https://linktr.ee/podheads Support the show: https://greyareas.nz/support
Nov 18, 2022•6 min
In this episode we look a little more intently at the ill-defined edges of perimenopause - those bumpy borders on the way in and out - and how we can find support in those tricky transitions. First up, I'm delighted to welcome back to the show Lara Briden, whose wealth of experience and knowledge combined with her encouraging tone is a cool and soothing balm to so many hot-flush-addled women (myself included). Next, I sat down with fabulous film-reviewer Kate Rodger. Her perimenopausal journey h...
Nov 09, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Season 2Ep. 10
From mild irritation to annoyance to fury and rage - what is anger, really? Are women allowed to be angry in our society? What role does anger play in our lives? And is it ever a good thing? Join me as a I discuss this with registered psychologist Nettie Cullen, gaining her professional insight into this tricky emotion, including how to understand what our anger is telling us and what we can do with it. But first I chat with broadcaster and food blogger Jax Donaldson, of soigather.nz, about her ...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 9
