Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

We all know about the direct effects of elections —financial, policy, crime— but they also seem to effect the housing market.  Ed McKnight analysed 11 elections going back to 1993, and discovered a few patterns that appear in the housing market around that time.  He joined Jack Tame to discuss his findings.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It might not be obvious in Aotearoa, but there’s something like 1400 different species of snails! They’re in many groups and with many different jobs to do, in the forests, in liquid habitats, on tree trunks, and in your garden.  Native snails consume dead and decaying leaves, fungus, and algae (they don’t eat your veggie garden) and leave behind nutrient-rich poo for soil health.  The Leaf-veined slug is one of those Molluscs that slithers around in the evening and at night. Their movement can be relatively smart, especially when they cruise on outdoor furniture or on leaves. Here they clean surfaces – literally! I’ve always called them the Wet & Forget slug, simply because they leave those clean tracks where-ever they went.  Paryphanta the kauri snail. A serious native snail with almost 80 mm diameter shell. It occurs from Kaitaia to the southern parts of Northland. It’s even distributed to Titirangi and Laingholm, where I used to have it on our lawn, especially at night. I’ll never forget having to remove these massive snails before mowing the lawn! They are carnivorous: eating worms, insect larvae, and other snail species. The way they catch the worms is akin to sucking up spaghetti from the layers in the soil!  Limax maximus (literally: “the largest slug”) also known as the leopard slug. Introduced into New Zealand and has a habit of getting inside our homes, especially when there’s a cat with milk in its bowl. The slurping by this slug can be heard by the neighbours!  And here is one of those introduced snails that can cause a lot of damage to your garden: Cantareus Asperses, the Brown Garden Snail. It’s originally from Northern Africa and taken to France, a long, long time ago, it was introduced to NZ with European settlers. Troublesome eater of leaves etc in massive numbers; hiding under pots during the day and always more numerous than you think.  One of the so-called “control” measures is spreading sharp chicken eggshells around the plants, so that the snails can’t walk over those sharp items. This picture shows one of those snails crossing over a brand-new, super sharp knife…  One historical story is far more important than sharp knives: this snail species is one of the preferred snails that French people cultivate and use to create Escargot. Snail farming in New Zealand might not be a bad idea – it makes that protein a lot cheaper with the rising prices of our food!  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's social media ban's first report card is in and there’s room for improvement   The regulator says the big social media companies are not doing enough to keep children off their platforms, particularly having insufficient measures to prevent kids from creating new accounts, not providing effective ways to report under-16s, and allowing those who said they were under 16 before the ban to say they were actually over 16.   Social media companies Meta and Snap say they are doing the best they can to comply, but it's very difficult to know how old a person is. Meta suggests that the App Store is the best place for age verification, which would effectively move the problem to Apple and Google.     Amazon's adding a fuel surcharge to orders   The 3.5% fuel surcharge will be added to orders that are fulfilled through its distribution centres. It'll come into effect on April 17th. The company says it can no longer continue to eat the additional cost, adding that this surcharge will only partially recover the cost.   This is not the first time – the war in Ukraine pushed oil prices over $100 a barrel and a surcharge was added then too. Amazon says the surcharge is temporary but will be in place for the foreseeable future.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Something Very Bad is Going to Happen   A bride has a feeling that something horrifying will happen at her wedding — and the closer to the altar she gets, the worse it becomes (Netflix).    Your Friends & Neighbors   When a financial titan suddenly finds himself divorced and jobless, he starts robbing his wealthy neighbors to stay afloat. Stealing from his own social circle strangely exhilarates him -- but he gradually gets tangled in a deadly web (Apple TV+).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the price of Easter eggs through the roof this year I’m making this rocky road as the ultimate sweet treat for the long weekend!    Makes one tray      Ingredients  200g dark chocolate, chopped   200g milk chocolate, chopped   50g butter    1 tablespoon golden syrup or maple syrup   100g roasted almonds, chopped roughly    ½ cup chopped dried apricots    1 cup chopped marshmallow eggs   1 cup mini eggs, some chopped some left whole       Method  Line a shallow 20x20cm dish with baking paper.   Gently melt both chocolates, butter, and syrup in a pot over a low heat.    Stir in the almonds, apricots, and pieces of marshmallow eggs. Scrape into the dish and smooth the top as much as possible.   Push the mini eggs down into the surface and chill for 3 hours or overnight until set.    Cut into squares.      Nici’s note:   You can get inventive with this recipe and use any type of nut and dried fruit really – try hazelnuts and golden raisins or walnuts and prunes.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Drama  A happily engaged couple get put to the test when an unexpected revelation sends their wedding week off the rails.     Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice  Two friends navigate the dangerous world of organized crime, testing their loyalty and survival skills as they get deeper into the criminal underworld.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For my birthday this year, my wife went above and beyond.   I didn’t want a product. I didn’t want a thing. For the last year of my thirties, I asked for an experience. And a couple of months before the big day, I casually dropped it into conversation.   “How would you feel,” I asked.  “If for my birthday this year, you took on all of the family duties for a bit... So I can duck off for a couple of nights in the bush?”   I’ll admit to a bias —I’ve spent more time in that any other— but I reckon the Kahurangi might be our best National Park. Although Fiordland National Park obviously boasts the majesty of Milford, Doubtful, and Dusky Sounds, and Abel Tasman has the golden sand beaches, between the nikau groves meeting the Tasman and the true sub-alpine, I reckon nothing can rival the Kahurangi in terms of sheer variety of landscapes.    I was reminded of that diversity this week, when, for my birthday escape, I joined my brother and brother-in-law and drove up the Wangapeka River enroute to climb Mt Owen.  We started at the Blue Creek resurgence, where beautiful, perfect, clear water pours from the vast underground caves. Not too far away (as the crow flies) is the Pearse Resurgence, where cave divers recently set an extraordinary and terrifying record, diving 245m deep into the earth.    Like so many beautiful spots in the South Island, the Kahurangi had a gold rush. Unfortunately for the hardy souls who braved the Wangapeka River in the 1860s, the quantities of gold recovered were ultimately modest at best. The older I get, the more I marvel at the ridiculous, old, gold works, the huge bits of rusted iron machinery that once upon a time took were hauled up the least-hospitable valleys, only to be abandoned and left to be slowly consumed by the bush.    We climbed straight up. It was too steep for chatter and we soon fell into the rhythm of the bush. The crunch of our boots, the gasping, heavy breath, the birdsong. So much birdsong. Again, the older I get, the more I appreciate it. There were countless bellbirds, robins, piwakawaka, and my new favourite cutie of all the New Zealand natives: tomtits. We paused for a moment for a handful of pick-n-mix, and two tiny, sweet little rifleman came and perched on a twig right next to us.    We climbed above the bushline and then down into another valley, up an old creekbed to the tidy DOC hut. It was pretty busy and we still had legs, so we kept climbing, up another hour to a couple of tarns, where we pitched our tents for the night. We were surrounded by three mighty limestone mountains, a little plateau with spongey earth and tussock. Mother Nature’s colosseum. We dropped a couple of beers into the tarns to cool them off as we pitched our flies and cooked dinner.     We were at 1500m. Hardly Everest, but high enough for the temperature to drop fast. One minute your clothes are rotting with sweat, the next you’re double socking. We slept in puffer jackets and polyprops. Without any clouds or light pollution, the sky was so pure and bright. I had to pull a beanie over my eyes to try and doze off. Is it even tramping if you have a good night’s sleep?  In the morning we left our camp and started climbing before sunrise. From the little plateau, we worked up through the huge glaciated marble karst that builds to the mountain summit. You can see why these landscapes were chosen by the location scouts as Lord of the Rings country. Mind your step. Skip the crevasse. Up, up, up.   The views from the top were awesome. Not just ‘awesome’ as in good, but awesome in the true sense of inspiring awe. We could see incredible ranges on all sides, clouds sitting deep in the valleys below. In one, cloud spilled over the lip of an alpine ridge and down the otherside, like water tipping from a glass. Several times we all just stopped. How often in life are you ever in a time and place where we can’t see or hear any sign of human civilisation?   I’m impossible to buy for but for my birthday this year, my wife nailed it. I walked out with burning quads and a couple of blisters, so content, so full of gratitude.    And to think these landscapes are there for all of us. That it’s our home. What a gift, indeed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedy legend Eddie Izzard’s material has taken on a life of its own.   Now going by Suzy Eddie, she doesn’t just tell jokes, she’s rewritten history.   The comedian, actor, and politician has captivated audiences with a career that has constantly pushed forward, and now she’ll be captivating Kiwi audiences, gracing our stages later this year.   She’s bringing two shows to our shores that couldn’t be more different, the Remix Tour in May, and a one-person performance of Hamlet in July.   “Just like Shakespeare went from his comedies to his dramas and tragedies, so am I,” she told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame.   The Remix Tour has Izzard performing highlights from her 35 year career in stand up comedy, and with so much material to pick from, every night will be unique.  “It lives – that's the thing,” she said.  “It lives as opposed to, oh it’s old and we pull it out and it’s the old prayer from before – it's got essences of that, but also new stuff as well.”   In contrast, Hamlet is a fair bit more structured – Izzard unable to shift things around from performance to performance, but that doesn’t make it a traditional rendition.   By its nature, theatre requires an audience to buy into the action more than with film or television, having to use their own imagination to fill in the gaps, and Izzard’s is no different.  “You get to concentrate, you get to see very clearly the text, the beauty of the poetry, the characters interplay,” she explained.   “We've worked very hard on moving ... the juxtaposition of me moving between different characters. There’s a subtle change – these are not caricatures, these are characters.”   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most people are aware that drivers licensing tests have changed over the years, but not everyone is aware of exactly how much.  Kevin Milne first sat his driver's test back in 1964, and in retrospect, the rules back then were much slacker.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ninth studio album from Swedish musician Robyn, ‘Sexistential’ is a return to an earlier form.  Unlike the softer sounds of her previous album ‘Honey’, her latest release is reminiscent of her 2010 trilogy ‘Body Talk’ – Robyn working with the same producer, Klas Åhlund, as she did on that project.   In Chris Schulz’s opinion, the album is easily the best pop album of the year so far, and he joined Jack Tame to share his full thoughts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"There’s no denying that Fiji Airways is on a roll, busy spreading its wings across the world. Fiji’s plucky and ambitious national carrier is now a serious, highly competitive airline player in the Pacific, directly connecting Nadi with over 25 international destinations in 15 countries and territories. Its international route network is nearly as comprehensive as Air New Zealand’s, who fly to 29 international destinations in 16 countries." "Fiji Airways has been showered with accolades of late, including being named an APEX World Class Airline for 2026, thrusting it into the world’s top 10 carriers, alongside the likes of Emirates, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Truth About Ruby Cooper by Liz Nugent   If my sister hadn’t been beautiful, none of it would have happened.  Ruby Cooper and her sister, Erin, live an idyllic life in their close-knit church community in Boston. But when Ruby is sixteen, she is involved in an incident that causes her family’s world to implode.  Across decades, the fallout leaves a wake of destruction behind Ruby in Dublin and Erin in Boston.  Not that Ruby wants to think about the past.  But it can’t stay a secret forever.    Battle of the Arctic by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore   Winston Churchill called it 'the worst journey in the world'. But was even this telling quote, describing the nightmarish torment experienced while transporting military aid to northern Russia during World War Two, an understatement?   As this book's title implies, Battle of the Arctic tells a unique story. For much of the conflict was complicated by terrific storms, snow, ice, fog, whales and Arctic mirages, so that what is chronicled at times sounds like a cross between the nightmarish torment experienced by both Shackleton in his ship Endurance and Scott of the Antarctic, and an Arctic version of Robinson Crusoe. The action unfolded as Allied naval and merchant seamen, airmen, submariners, soldiers and intelligence officers delivered on their countries' promise to take arms to Russia notwithstanding the German attempts to hunt them in their aircraft, U-boats and surface fleet spearheaded by Tirpitz and Scharnhorst.  When ships were attacked, and went down in seas so cold that a man could die after five minutes of immersion, it triggered events reminiscent of the do-or-die moments during the sinking of the Titanic. Men perished one by one in lifeboats, and as castaways on deserted Arctic islands where they were stalked by polar bears.  Frostbitten and wounded survivors ended up in primitive Russian hospitals where amputations were carried out without anesthetics. Others, while stranded for months in the communist state they were aiding, experienced the murky worlds of the NKVD, and the gulag, as well as famine and prostitution. Using new material unearthed in American, British, Russian and German archives, as well as Polish, Norwegian, French and Dutch sources, and a remarkable collection of vivid witness accounts brought together at the passing of the last survivors, Hugh Sebag-Montefiore can at last shine a revealing light on this extraordinary tale that oscillates between the sailors' eye view on the front line, and the controversies that infuriated world leaders.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hall has embarked on a new project.  She and her family have just begun transforming their 1960s home in Red Beach into what they’re calling a ‘Suburban Homestead’ – a home that produces more, wastes less, and works with nature rather than against it.   Kate joined Jack Tame for a chat about the project – their goals, current plans, and the reason they’ve made this decision.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warning: Article includes images of animals caught in predator traps.  Not terribly long ago, Selena Gomez had a go at marketing a chocolate cookie that features cinnamon and all sorts of sweet stuff in the recipe.  It was an Oreo described as “Flavour-Forward”, and it was suggested people consume that wonderful stuff during things such as the Emmy Awards or the Oscars.  Sweetness and cinnamon are often used to attract possums to the lethal traps, used to make New Zealand Predator-Free…  And guess what!  A local Cantabrian biologist (Graham Hickling) had a go at trying out the Oreo to see if possums might be interested – and they were!  More than enough for me to have a go myself in the last few weeks, beginning with my Possum Trap. The Selena Gomez Oreo is dirt cheap – you don’t have to be Dutch to appreciate that…  With some apple, a couple of Oreos, and various other good possum attractants (self-raising flour and cinnamon), I started on night one, to see if any possum would be interested.  Problem is, I hadn’t heard a possum for the past five months, so my hope was not too high…  The following morning: bingo!  One hedgehog.  All the Oreos were gone, some apple was still around, and the hedgehog showed no signs of life at all.  I tried a second night with the same set-up:  Bingo! A second hedgehog.  The third night I had a go with a mouse trap or two. Two mice in one night, followed with a rat on the night thereafter.  May I recommend the Selena Gomez brilliantly cheap and useful, sweet lure to keep our Aotearoa in a much better state of predator-free?  Just saying!  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 28 March 2026, legendary British comedian Eddie Izzard joins Jack to discuss her most iconic moments, playing all 23 characters in Hamlet, and gracing stages across NZ this year.  Jack reflects on what the opening of the Te Kaha stadium means for Christchurch as a city.  Chef Nici Wickes chats fancy sea salts and shares a deliciously easy recipe for Salted Caramel Baked Apples.  Sustainability expert Kate Hall discusses her latest project: a suburban homestead.  Plus, Swedish mega-popstar Robyn has released her new album ‘Sexistential’. Music reviewer Chris Schulz joins Jack to admire her impact and share his favourite tracks.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are ingrown toenails and how do we recognise them?   They’re common, typically the corner or side of toenail grows into the surrounding soft skin.   It often occurs on the big toe, although it can occur on any toe.   It causes pain along the nail edge, redness, swelling, and is tender when touched.       What causes them?   Commonly caused by a badly cut toenail – too short, or rounded edges.  Wearing tight fitting footwear can increase pressure on the nail.  Injuring the toe, such as stubbing it, or recurrent pressure from something like running.   Sweaty feet, genetics causing curved toenail shape, and occasionally medication.       How do you treat them?   Mild, early   Warm saltwater soaks. Lift the nail edge – put some cotton wool under the edge to it lift out. Wear more comfortable footwear, take panadol. Moderate   It can sometime become infected.   Requires antibiotics.  Severe   Requires nail removal under local anaesthetic.   Often needs a podiatrist or GP.      Can you prevent them?   The main thing is to cut nails straight, square across, and not too short.  Avoid tight shoes.  Avoid picking at nails.   Keep feet clean and dry.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OpenAI is undergoing a dramatic strategy shift   Consumers are no longer the focus.    Sora —the app that let you create a version of yourself and generate videos, and that Disney signed up to license its IP to— is being shut down. I can only imagine the cost to run it must be incredible.   They're also pulling away from the 'instant checkout' feature, making ChatGPT less 'shoppable'. Reports in the Financial Times say the planned 'erotic mode' is on pause indefinitely. The launch date already slipped multiple times, reportedly because of both internal and external pressure.   So where does OpenAI go next? Business users and developers. Claude (by Anthropic) has been dropping feature after feature the past few months and has seemingly won the hearts and minds of the developer community. Its new co-work feature is effectively a more everyday version of Claude Code. It seems OpenAI is under attack.      Meta's defeats in court   Two jury cases have returned verdicts this week, neither in Meta's favour.   While Meta and Google tried to argue the 20 year old plaintiff's home life was the cause of her anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions, a jury found Instagram (and Google) was the contributing factor – particularly the addictive nature of their products, finding the companies negligent. The jury awarded $3 million in damages. Meta and Google will appeal while Snap and TikTok settled outside of court.   But there was a second courtroom defeat for Meta too – they lost a child safety lawsuit in New Mexico. In that case, Meta will pay $375 million dollars in civil penalties after a jury found the company mislead consumers about the safety of its platforms, and endangered children. The jury agreeing that the company knew the risks but ignored internal and external advice.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bait   London-based actor Shah Latif suffers from an existential crisis and his life spirals out of control after auditioning for the role of a lifetime (Prime Video).     Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole  A brilliant but troubled detective, Harry Hole, hunts a serial killer while battling a corrupt adversary, Tom Waaler, as they navigate ethical grey areas, with Harry determined to bring the criminal to justice (Netflix).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baked apples are taken to a whole new level with this version.    Serves 4-6     Ingredients  3-4 large apples, halved through waist, cored   ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed    25g butter, melted   3 tbsps. water    1 tsp sea salt    ½ cup walnuts   To serve: cream, sour cream, or crème fraiche       Method  Preheat oven to 180C.    In an oven dish, place sugar, butter, water, and salt. Stir to mix.    Set apples in the dish, cut side up. Scatter walnuts over and around. Cover tightly with foil.   Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and baste apples with syrup.   Cook for a further 20-30 minutes uncovered until apples are soft and the caramel lovely and syrupy. If you need to cook a bit longer, do, but only until apples are soft, not mushy.    While still hot, dollop on some cream, sour cream, or crème fraiche, which offsets the sweetness beautifully, even stirring some into the syrup.      LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before yesterday, I can honestly say I’d never heard the word grouse.   Well, actually that’s not true, I’d heard the word grouse. I knew it as a bird. As game for a hunter.   But I’d never heard it used in the slang form.   “It is grouse,” said Christchurch Mayor, Phil Mauger, as he cut the ribbon in his city’s brand new $683m stadium.   So long as you mean it’s excellent, I thought, then I’m with you Phil.   I was born and raised in Christchurch. I’ll always have an affection for the ‘03 that comes from having had a great childhood based in a place. It’s never been perfect, but it’ll always be home.   We could see the old stadium from our family home. The first time I was ever on TV was while sitting with my dad on the old embankment at Lancaster Park for a test between Pakistan and New Zealand in February 1994. The cameraman came and got a little cutaway shot of us, and the next day at school various people excitedly came to tell me.  There’s no doubting the new stadium is a huge upgrade. Lancaster Park (or Jade Stadium as it was) was in a semi-industrial spot in the city fringes. At Te Kaha, you walk across the road and you’re straight into the bars and restaurants. If you had the wrong seat at Jade Stadium, you’d pounded by the cruel Easterly. Te Kaha’s roof means there are no such concerns.  I often feel as though I have the experience of viewing Christchurch as a sort of time lapse. I know the city, I’m there fairly often, but I’m not living it every day. It means I get an interesting sense of progress.  Even for someone on the outside, progress has been agonizingly slow. For the longest time, it was measured only in empty lots. Of the 17 anchor projects defined back in 2012, none was delivered to the original timeframe.  But they have been delivered, and almost all of them are excellent. Te Pae, the convention centre, is fantastic. Tūranga, the central library is surely one of the country’s best. Add to it Parakiore, the metro sports facility, the Canterbury University rebuild, the new QEII, the Margaret Mahy playground… there are so many great public facilities in the city, and each of them is better than the one it replaced.    There have just been two outstanding projects. The Christchurch Cathedral, and what I suppose could be described as a cathedral of a different kind.   The thing about Te Kaha is that by design, it brings the greatest number of people together, whether for Six60 or yet another Super Rugby title.   For so many years, Christchurch was sad and sorry. But Te Kaha’s completion, costly as it may have been, is such a big milestone. It’s more than a stadium. It’s more than a construction project. It is the crowning of what is surely most vibrant city in the country. It is grouse. To those who’ve lived through it all and are counting down the days to their first match at Te Kaha… enjoy being envied. You deserve it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They Will Kill You   A woman answers a cryptic ad for a housekeeping job at a luxurious yet foreboding New York City high-rise. Upon arrival, she discovers residents have vanished without a trace for decades, fuelling whispers of a satanic cult lurking in the shadows.    Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man   Amid the chaos of World War II, Tommy Shelby returns from a self-imposed exile to face his most destructive reckoning yet. With the future of his family and country at stake, Shelby must face his demons and choose whether to confront his legacy or burn it to the ground.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dame Lynley Dodd is a staple of Kiwi childhoods.   The beloved children’s author is best known for her Hairy Maclary series, the first of which was released over 40 years ago.  She’s sold millions of books worldwide, and just this week she was honoured at the New Zealander of the Year Awards.  Dodd was granted the Legacy Award for fostering a love of literature in generations of children.   While she admits it sounds a bit silly, Dodd admits to feeling slightly guilty at the level of acclaim and the legacy she’s built.  “Well I obviously, I think, [I've] been spending all these years thoroughly enjoying myself producing these books,” she told Jack Tame.  “It sounds a bit, you know, I’ve been indulging myself, and I have, doing these things, but no, it’s been great fun.”   Dodd’s love of wordplay and language stems back to her childhood, as her parents were, in her words, much into words, and there was an “awful lot of fun” with language in her home.   “Both my parents were fond of books, and also fond of fun, and so, you know, obviously there were serious times as well, but there was a lot of fun with words,” she explained.  “My father and I used to make up games, make up sort of imaginary animals and all sorts of silly things and have nonsense conversations about them.”  The language used in her home was also a contrast to the things she was given to read at school, which were “incredibly old-fashioned".  “There were, you know, millions of gnomes and fairies and bits and pieces, and it was talking down kind of language,” Dodd told Tame.  “And I got a bit bored by those books, and it was only much later on, when I met books like Dr Suess’, I suddenly realised you could be mad with language and have a fantastic time.”   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our parents are some of our biggest influences.   It was Kevin Milne’s birthday last week, and also the anniversary of his father’s death, and it got him thinking about the influence fathers have on their sons.   This is compounded by the release of Louis Theroux’s Manosphere documentary, which reinforced to him the importance of a positive male influence in a child’s life.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gorillaz have returned with their ninth studio album.   The Mountain was recorded across a range of locations, primarily India and London, and draws heavily from the Indian classical instrumentation, pairing it with the group’s eclectic electronic and pop influences.  It features performances in multiple different languages, including Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish, and Yoruba, with themes of death, grief, and the afterlife threading through the album.  Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame to share his thoughts on the release.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Look What You Made Me Do by John Lanchester   What if the year's most talked about TV show was all about your marriage?  Kate, thirty years into her marriage, has a seemingly idyllic metropolitan, North London life. Phoebe, a young screenwriter, is the creator of the year's hit TV show, Cheating.  When Kate's world takes a darker turn, she thinks she sees details and intimacies in the show that only she and her husband Jack could possibly have known. But who has betrayed who? Who gets to tell whose story?  A black comedy of resentment and entitlement, Look What You Made Me Do is the story of two very different women from two very different generations, heading toward a battle only one of them can win.     A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Steadman   Western Australia, 1958. A truck rumbles along a lonely outback road. A moment’s inattention, and in a few muddled seconds the lives of the MacBride family are shattered.  Instead of leaving them to heal, fate comes back for them in a twist of consequences that will cause one of them to lose their life, and another to sacrifice theirs for the sake of an innocent child.  Set in the expanse of a vast and flat landscape, where the weather is a capricious god and a million-acre sheep station is barely a dot on the map, A Far-flung Life explores the hearts of a handful of isolated souls and the secrets they shield in order to survive.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"The weather could not have been a more idyllic. I was basking in the brilliance of Lake Taupō aboard the glorious replica steamboat, Ernest Kemp, as were several dozen guests from all over the world. Cruising the great lake for over 40 years, this gorgeous little vessel that accommodates 50 guests, began life in Kerikeri, named in honour of the last member of the Kemp family to live at Kemp House. A massive and damaging flood in the Kerikeri Inlet in 1981 prompted the sale of this shallow draught vessel, and Ernest Kemp began a new life feeling the lake’s freshwater on its hull, a year later.: "For a complete change of pace, I was itching to rock some of Taupō’s much-vaunted mountain bike trails. And they won’t disappoint." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwis are struggling with their health and wellbeing in the workplace.  Umbrella Wellbeing has released its annual report into the state of workplace health and wellbeing, which surveyed over 11,000 people across 33 workplaces over the last two years.   It found:  More than half the workplaces surveyed struggle to support staff wellbeing and mental health   About 25% of workers were experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress – the main things affecting this were a mixture of personal and work factors including:   Not getting enough sleep   Their workplace not prioritising mental wellbeing   Not getting enough leisure time   Poor diet   Bullying or harassment at work   12% of people’s productivity at work was explained by a mix of personal and work factors including   Not getting enough physical activity during the day   High workload   Not being clear about their role at work   Poor sleep       Overall, this shows a picture of how people’s personal health and features of the work environment combine together to impact people’s wellbeing and their job performance.  A couple of examples from the past few years that highlight this relationship:   A tragic case from 2016 investigated a tractor driver who had an accident while driving in the early hours of the morning, leading to his death. It was revealed that fatigue was the key contributing factor in this case, given that he had worked almost 200 hours in the fortnight before his death, including a 17-hour workday the day that he died.   In Australia, a police officer suffered from PTSD after witnessing some traumatic incidents. The stress associated with this led to an increase in stomach acid secretion which led to development of a gastrointestinal disease and later the development of cancer. Sadly, some of the policeman’s coping personal coping strategies including drinking and smoking made the situation worse.       So what can be done?   It’s a partnership between individuals and their workplaces. Things like sleep and diet are largely in the control of individuals, but given these things impact on people’s productivity at work, workplaces might want to consider how they could support people in these areas, e.g., making sure healthy food is available rather than lots of junk food, supporting people to get their sleep patterns checked for things like sleep apnoea.   Workplaces are directly responsible for some of the other factors like workload and bullying in the workplace, so they need to address these to both protect the health and wellbeing of their people and make sure they are getting maximum productivity from their workforce.   In the past many workplaces have split off workplace and personal health risks, treating them as separate. Our results and the couple of examples I’ve given show how important it is to think about how these two factors combine together and the need to look at workplace health from a holistic point of view.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 21 March 2026, beloved children's author and creator of Hairy Maclary, Dame Lynley Dodd joins Jack to discuss being honoured with the Legacy Award at the New Zealander of the Year awards and the lasting impact of her work.  Jack considers when secret identities should be kept secret.  Kevin Milne reflects on the influence of fathers on their sons after watching the latest documentary from Louis Theroux, Inside the Manosphere.  Two Hollywood heart throbs lead Francesca Rudkin's film picks.  Plus, Ruud Kleinpaste chats getting your bulbs ready.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seeing as it’s getting towards autumn, a number of bulbs need planting in the garden - I’ll pick on a few of them.  Tulip  Fabulous early spring colour – remember the historical stuff with the Dutch making heaps of money out of often virus-ridden “varieties” (early 1600-s AD) – around Fl 3000.00 per bulb while the average yearly wage of a skilled craftsman was around Fl 300.00. The bubble burst in 1637 AD.  These days they are a bit cheaper and more reliable. They grow well in the South Island with very cool winters – up north they need winter chilling (taking out of soil and put in fridge for 8 weeks). In mild climates it pays to plant later in the year, say May/June.  But in the South Island, planting the bulbs can start in a few weeks; order them now! Some great bulb outlets: Bulbs direct, Garden Post, NZBulbs, Fiesta Bulbs, and Hadstock Farm in Springston.  Work the soil to 20 cm deep in sunny to semi-shade position (generally bulbs prefer well-drained soils). Plant 15 cm spaced and 15 cm deep. In warmer climates, plant them a bit deeper (20 cm deep).  A bit of mulch over the planting site will keep weeds down. Bulb fertiliser is recommended and after flowering some blood and bone will feed the green leaves.  Do NOT cut those green leaves after flowering: they gather sunlight (photosynthesis) for re-stocking the food reserves inside the bulbs underground.  Narcissus Daffodils  Prep the soil to 40 cm or so – daffodil roots go way down! Plant them 10 cm deep and space 10 cm apart in well-drained soils (perhaps under deciduous trees). Hagley Park is a great example. Planting them in full sun is okay too.  Mass planting works really well, and bulbs come up year after year and they’ll multiply. Apart from the Far North, the whole of New Zealand can grow them.   Leucojum  Leucojum is also known as “snowflake”, and in the Netherlands it’s known as the “Zomer Klokje” (summer clock).  This wonderful plant has a special place in my heart: we used to have this rare and endangered native species in the wetlands where I used to roam as a nature nerd in the Netherlands.  There are many different varieties now, flowering in spring, and planting is best done in early April.  Must get some more!  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mission Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2024, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay, RRP from $25.00   The wine:   A classic Hawkes Bay red blend with the power of Cabernet framing the softness of Merlot. Flavours of blackberry and tobacco, Doris plum, Kalamata olive, and dried herb, with some smoky wood muscle. Dry, lots of texture from tannins and acidity framing a core of dark berries and plum. It’s fresh, it’s new, and ready to drink today or lay down for another 1-2 years.   The Food:   A wine for casseroles or leaner meats, excellent for lamb lollypops or a home-made shepherd's pie. This style of wine has the power to stand up to a medium-rare steak as well as the softness for sweeter red meats such as lamb or venison.   The season:   2024 has proven to be an excellent year for red wines from Hawke’s Bay, and frankly from throughout NZ. Lots of dry warm days when it was needed and a cooling diurnal shift in the evenings. Releasing the wines now demonstrates the power and concentration of such wines that need more time in cellar, the wine producer’s cellar before release.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Government wants to be the ones who control AI regulation   In a new policy document, the White House lays out seven key objectives for the singular US approach to AI. In summary, the framework places significant responsibility on parents for issues like child safety and lays out relatively soft, nonbinding expectations for platform accountability. They say centralizing the policy will remove "unnecessary barriers to innovation" and allow AI policy to reflect national security and foreign policy.   Like we've seen with social media platforms, the framework also tries to prevent any state laws that make the AI developers responsible for their users’ actions. When it comes to copyright, the framework leans on 'fair use'.       Amazon might get back in the phone game   Reuter's is reporting a project known internally as “Transformer” is looking to create a phone. The idea – you've got Alexa at home, so what about taking Alexa with you everywhere? No word on if this would run on Android, or if they'd develop their own operating system.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scarpetta    With skilled hands and an unnerving eye, Dr. Kay Scarpetta tries to unmask a serial killer and prove that her career-making case from 28 years earlier isn't also her undoing (Prime Video).     Crackhead  Drug-addicted party-animal Frankie has blown it all up - her inheritance, her relationships, and most recently, her sister's house. It's time to go to rehab (ThreeNow).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is something about a burger that is so cheering. There's pork, crispy kale, and apple in this burger that has it all going on – flavour, texture and heartiness!    Makes 2 burgers       Ingredients  300g ground pork or mince (I use a food processor to break down decent pork chops)    ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs   4 tbsps. milk    1 small onion finely chopped or grated   2 tbsps. fresh herbs, chopped finely (sage, parsley, rosemary, or thyme)   1 tbsp wholegrain mustard    Oil for frying   2-3 stems of kale, stem removed   1 granny smith, cut into match sticks or very thin rounds    Slices of beetroot   2 burger buns   2 tbsps. mayonnaise    4 tsps. chill jam or similar       Method  Soak breadcrumbs in milk for 5 minutes.    Mix pork, breadcrumbs, onion, herbs, mustard, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Massage with your hands, slapping it around a bit (this activates the proteins which helps to keep the patty together), until combined.   Divide the mixture in half and roll each into a ball. Flatten to discs a bit larger than your burger buns. Chill for 15 minutes.  Heat oven to 170C. Massage the kale with some oil and place on a tray. Bake for 15 minutes until crispy. Sprinkle with salt.    To cook the patties, fry in a pan on medium heat until well browned and cooked through. Remove and keep warm. Wipe pan clean.    Swipe split buns with mayonnaise and place cut side down in the pan. Cook until browned and heated through.    Assemble your burgers with mayonnaise, pork patty, chilli jam, beetroot, apple and kale.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Project Hail Mary    Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory slowly returns, he soon discovers he must solve the riddle behind a mysterious substance that's causing the sun to die out. As details of the mission unravel, he calls on his scientific training and sheer ingenuity -- but he may not have to do it alone.     Pillion   Colin, a timid man, meets Ray, a confident biker gang leader, who initiates him into a submissive relationship, challenging Colin's mundane existence and prompting personal growth through their unconventional dynamic.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the age of the individual. The self. Generation me me me me me.   An age in which each of us is encouraged by a heady mix of technological trends and cultural pressures to think of ourselves as unique and special. To treat ourselves as a brand.  And in a world with every person/brand competing with everyone else, fame and celebrity is often used as a measure of status.  It’s as though Banksy saw it coming. When he – and just for the sake of this morning, let’s assume he’s a he – first started making his subversive street art in the 1990s, he decided to make it anonymously.     I can’t say for sure why he made that decision. Given he was graffitiing public places, I suppose the original decision might have been made for the obvious legal reason – to try and avoid the Police. But as he has grown into one of the biggest artists on the planet, with works selling for tens of millions of dollars, at some point Banksy chose something much greater. In eschewing the fame and individual recognition, he was pulling a middle finger at one of the defining phenomena of the modern age.  It’s not often you’ll hear me whinging about a piece of investigative journalism, but Reuters published an exhaustive investigation this week, which many believe has proved Banksy’s identity once and for all. And maybe it does. But though it was certainly a huge journalistic effort, on this occasion I just don’t want to know the truth.  It’s not that I’m not a tiny bit curious. I love his work! It’s probably not very cool to say that now. Banksy’s not exactly subtle, and when it comes to mainstream appeal, he’s probably even giving Ed Sheeran a run for his money. But he’s funny. He’s clever. He’s political. And whether stencilling kissing coppers or a rioter hurling a bunch of flowers instead of a Molotov cocktail, he inverts our world. He’s anarchic.  Much of Banksy’s work questions authority and oppression. Much of it pokes fun at powerful people and institutions. But among his many works, some of the very best question all of us and what we value.  When I lived in New York, Banksy set up a little street stall down the road from my apartment and spent a few hours selling his works. Almost everyone assumed they were fakes, and it was only once he published a video revealing the ruse, that thousands of visitors to the Guggenheim Museum realised they’d missed an opportunity to buy artworks worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for less than hundred bucks. In one of those great moments of national pride, a woman from Taranaki realised they were legit and ended up buying two.  Perhaps an even better-known example of Banksy challenging what we value was his work ‘Love is in the Bin’, the incredible work that having sold for a million pounds at a glitzy Sotheby’s bash, promptly shredded before the audience of stunned auction-goers.  So who’s the real Banksy? If you really want to know, it doesn’t take much to bring up the Reuters investigation. But unless Banksy’s revealed to be Elvis, Serena Williams, or King Charles himself, I for one would honestly prefer not to know.   What’s more interesting? A 52-year-old bloke from Bristol, or arguably the best-known living artist on the planet walking among us, unrecognised, unbothered, unharrassed, unphotographed, with a stencil and a spray can in his backpack, looking for his next wall?  We fetishise celebrity. We idolise fame. Choosing to stay anonymous is maybe Banksy’s greatest work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Established more than 40 years ago, the Exponents are Kiwi rock legends.  They’re part of New Zealand’s sonic landscape – a guaranteed play at the pub, a party, or a summer barbeque.   The band initially parted ways in 1999, but have periodically reunited in the years since and will be doing the same for this year’s Synthony Festival.   Frontman Jordan Luck told Jack Tame they’re very excited about this one – they only do a handful of shows as the Exponents these days, so he’s really looking forward to it.  "It’s going to be an amazing event.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amid all the nostalgia and reunion tours of late, Kevin Milne has been battling to keep his music taste fresh.   Instead of rushing to buy a ticket for Guns N’ Roses or Split Enz, he picked up a ticket to Kiwi band The Beths and went along last night.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"It’s been three years since I was last in Tauranga and it’s so uplifting to see cranes in the sky, the glossy sheen of brand-new buildings, and the civic centre’s sure-footed makeover taking shape. Fresh and inviting public spaces are continuing to unfurl across the Te Papa peninsula and waterfront. After paying my regards to the delightful Hairy Maclary and friends sculptures adorning the fabulously enticing children’s playground on Tauranga’s waterfront in a story book setting, I checked out The Strand Reserve and waterfront boardwalk. It has immeasurably enhanced the city centre’s sense of connection with Tauranga Harbour. There’s a great new sense of art-filled vitality sprouting in the city centre. A starring specimen in Red Square is the stunning public sculpture called Rauhea." Read Mike's full article. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamilton is welcoming thousands of music fans for Homegrown festival today.  The festival has returned to the city it started in after almost two decades on Wellington's waterfront.  More than 25 thousand people are expected at Claudelands Oval, including Chris Schulz.  He joined Jack Tame from the festival to chat about this year’s offering.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Better Life by Lionel Shriver   Gloria Bonaventura, a divorced mother of three living with her 26-year-old son Nico in a sprawling house in Brooklyn, decides to participate in a new city programme - Big Apple, Big Heart - that would pay her to take in a migrant as a boarder. Gloria is thrilled when sweet, kind, helpful Martine arrives. But Nico is sceptical. A classic live-at-home, unemployed Gen Zer with no interest in adulthood, Nico resents the indignity of moving from his self-contained basement flat and back into his childhood bedroom.  As the months go by, Martine endears herself to both Nico's sisters, while finding her way into Gloria's heart. But as Martine's disturbingly dodgy compatriots begin to show up, Nico grows only more hostile to both his mother's altruism and the 'migrant crisis' in general - though turns out to be anything but a reliable narrator himself.     Rasputin by Antony Beevor   When Russia’s Dowager Empress was pregnant with the future Tsar, she dreamed that a peasant would one day kill her son. The idea terrified her, and for the rest of her days she ‘lived under the pressure of the prophecy’. Did the prophecy come true with the arrival at court of a mysterious, barely literate moujhik from Siberia, Grigori Rasputin? In this extraordinary portrait of an enigmatic character, Antony Beevor brings readers closer than ever before to Rasputin’s scandalous life and death. Though he had no official position at court, Rasputin’s hold over the Romanovs became the stuff of legend. Exaggerated accounts of political and financial corruption swirled around him, to say nothing of the stories of his debauchery with the Empress and even her daughters. The consequences of the rumor and conspiracy theories were devastating—when the February revolution broke out in 1917, hardly a sword was raised in the Tsar’s defense.  Through extensive use of previously unpublished reports, interviews, and interrogations, Beevor shows the truth of Rasputin’s rampant lust and opportunism, victimization of poor and vulnerable women, and deep hypocrisy and corruption. Part political thriller, part gothic mystery, Rasputin is a fascinating story of human perversity.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even though everybody has to sleep, it's rare that people consider how sustainability can play a role in their bedroom.  Kate Hall joined Jack Tame for a chat about a few ways you can make your sleeping environment a bit more sustainable – from the mattress to the bedding to the furniture itself.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cicadas are slowly on the wane towards the end of March. It’s been a pretty Noisy March so far, typical of the regular system whereby Cicadas have a three, five, or seven year life cycle.  Black field crickets (Teleogryllus commodus) are still making a heck of a noise in the late afternoon/evening, especially in the North Island and top of the South. They’ll be enjoying that dodgy boy-girl party for at least another month or more! Black field crickets make their characteristic noise by rubbing their wings together (great mating calls).  You won’t see them often, as they hide in cracks in the soil during the day, but when the sun goes down the crickets will come to the surface to eat grasses – they can do a lot of damage to pasture and lawns, leaving bare soil around their home cracks.  Control is quite hard. In the old days, farmers used wheat, soaked in Maldison, strewn over the paddock in early summer (January is the month before crickets become adults and hence, reproduce). For a lawn it might be a nice idea to pour water with a good dash of dish-washing liquid down the holes of these insects in the middle of a hot day. The crickets emerge in the noon-day sun (because the soapy water stings their eyes, I reckon) and the sun will heat the black bodies up real quick (Natue’s Micro-wave oven!).  Another “singer” in autumn is the Katydid (Caedicia simplex); mostly in the afternoon and early evening.  It creates a rather unique noise by rubbing the edges of its stiff forewings together, like a fingernail on a comb. The noise has the quality produced by a ventriloquist – the insect “throws its voice” so you can never be sure where it is calling from.  Katydids feed on garden plants, especially flowers, and they truly seem to like the roses and Dahlias that flower in autumn! They are well-camouflaged on green plants, so birds, frogs, and lizards can find it tricky to locate them.  Gardeners who feel they’re being “attacked” by these insects often ask if there’s a way to “get them” with some insecticide… “Only when you’re very good at ventriloquism” is my answer – I love them!!  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 14 March 2026, Kiwi rock legend Jordan Luck joins Jack to discuss The Exponents reuniting for a special performance at Synthony.   Jack champions an alternative transport option as fuel prices rise.  Louis Theroux's latest Manosphere documentary is spotlighted in Screentime.  Nici Wickes joins Jack live from the Wānaka A&P show.  And Kevin Milne battles to keep his music fresh.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saving versus spending can be a difficult balance, especially when you don’t have good habits or a plan in place.  And while many struggle to save enough in the first place, are there people who take it too far in the opposite direction and save too much?  Lisa Dudson joined Jack Tame to discuss saving money and how to decide the split that works best for you.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google Maps is getting a new look   Google Maps is getting it's biggest update in over a decade with the launch of “Immersive Navigation”. The new view places you in a 3D space with a view of the road features, buildings and terrain around you – almost making it look like a video game. It has smart zooms and transparent buildings to give you a better look at what’s coming up on your drive, including potentially tricky merges and turns, and better highlighting of things like traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. It starts in the US, and will roll out to iOS and Android devices, and CarPlay and Android Auto.     A surprise reversal from Meta – Instagram chats will no longer be encrypted   From May 8th, chats will no longer be encrypted. You'll have until then to download them, or I assume they'll be deleted by Meta. Meta’s decision to dismantle the encryption feature comes against the backdrop of increasing concerns surrounding child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. By eliminating end-to-end encryption, the company will be able to monitor direct messages and calls on Instagram for any content relating to CSAM, grooming, or related harassment.   There are lots of open questions and I'm surprised this hasn't been picked up by more outlets. What was behind the move? Are laws such as the EU’s Chat Control regulation and the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023 pushing them away from E2E encryption?  Messenger just got E2E encryption – so what happens to that now? WhatsApp has had it for some time, and is a core feature of the product – will that also go? Could this be to do with how the services are classified under various international laws?   Some odd things are happening at Meta. They are bringing Messenger back inside Facebook, effectively killing it as a standalone product and having more like the FB Messages of old.      LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere  Louis Theroux immerses himself in the world of extreme online influencers and content creators who are redefining modern masculinity. He examines the appeal of these ideas and attitudes, and how these figures are influencing young men's values (Netflix).      DTF St. Louis   A love triangle between three adults experiencing middle-age malaise that leads to one of them ending up dead (Neon).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomatoes are abundant and cheap and so it’s time to make the annual batch of tomato chilli jam. It is sooooo good!    Makes 2-3 jars      Ingredients  1kg tomatoes, roughly chopped   5 red chillies, deseeded and chopped or ¼ tsp chilli flakes   2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed   2 cups white sugar   ½ cup apple cider vinegar   2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar   Squeeze of lemon juice   ½ teaspoon salt      Method  Bring all of the ingredients to the boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.   Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or until the mixture thickens and becomes syrupy.   Test a cooled teaspoonful for heat and ‘setting’, though this jam will veer more towards runny than sticky. Add more chilli at this stage if you want it hotter and cook it for another 10 minutes or so.   Spoon into warmed, sterilised jars, then seal. This will keep for at least 6 months.      Nici’s note:   I use this on everything, in toasties, on cheese and crackers, in sandwiches, on rice, on ice cream… just joking, it won’t be great on ice cream!       LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

War Machine  During the final stage of US Army Ranger selection, an elite team's training exercise turns into a fight for survival against an unimaginable threat.     Reminders of Him   After a perfect outing with her boyfriend, Kenna makes an unbearable mistake that sends her to prison for seven years. Hoping to rebuild her life after her release, she tries to reunite with her daughter, but her custodial grandparents refuse to let Kenna see her. She soon finds unexpected compassion from a local bar owner as their secret romance gives Kenna hope for a second chance.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Living in New Zealand is like sitting on the back seat of a bus.  You feel cool. The view’s great. But when the world goes over a speedbump, we tend to get kicked up in the air just a little bit more than everyone else.  The Government says we have more than 50 days’ fuel either in the country or in ships that are already enroute. That’s reassuring. But as petrol prices have steadily climbed this week, I’m sure I’ve not been the only one wondering what agency I have in this situation. I don’t know about you, but it would be really nice for our household finances to be a little less dependent on the whims and fancies of Donald Trump.  Now I totally get that everyone’s different and every household has different pressures and needs – I’m not gonna lecture you! But can I gently suggest that this crisis might be the perfect excuse to diversify your household transportation.  One of the many reasons I hear for people not wanting to cycle is that they have kids. But in case you’ve not been paying attention, bike technology has come an awfully long way. Case in point: over the summer holidays I bought a Shotgun. It’s a special seat which attaches to a mountain bike in the space between the rider’s chest and the handlebars. It has a little harness, footrests and a bar to hold on to. And let me tell you, it is maybe the most fun you can have with a one-year-old.  Yes. I ride with my one-year-old. We ride for fun through the local parks. We visit the ducks and the eels or cycle alongside the tram at MOTAT. He’s right there in front of me – I can whisper in his ear as we peddle. Look, a dog! We ride for practical commuting purposes, down to the local library, down to school to get his brother, to the supermarket for some milk and a fresh crop of bananas.  My son absolutely hates wearing his sunhat but the moment I pull his helmet out he starts squealing with excitement and he gladly lets me clip it underneath his slobbery chin. It’s awesome.   His older brother has a new bike. Well, not a new one. But a new off-Trade Me bike. He’s nine and in his second-to-last year of primary school, so I’m slowly working to teach him the road rules and get him comfortable. They finally finished the contentious cycle lanes at the top of our street, which means he now has a much safer route to ride to school every morning. The Government’s recent changes mean he can also legally ride on the footpath. I’m not going to pretend it’s a risk-free exercise, but I ride with him and we ride carefully. And with the cycle lanes and the footpath, I figure it’s a good way to build some independence and get him ready for intermediate. There’s a reason that a few decades ago, so many more kids would ride to school. It’s also an excellent way to avoid the traffic jam at drop-off and pick-up times outside his school gate. A couple of days a week, I take both the boys down to the local pump track and watch as the nine-year-old burns off a bit of gas.  Which, speaking of, my wife and I aren’t burning when we commute to work. I ride a fantastic, light, fast gravel bike. On a busy morning for Auckland traffic, I’m in the office twice as fast as I would be if I decided to drive. Nothing makes me lose my mind like sitting in traffic, so I’m in a much better headspace when I ride to work. And I’m saving $20 on parking. My wife rides an e-bike. If you haven’t yet had a good hoon on one, honestly, you don’t know what you’re missing. For transporting a human-being from A to B, e-bikes are the most efficient powered transport every invented. By miles. Hills are a breeze. Straights are a breeze. Everything’s a breeze. It’s an unmitigated joy that opens up cycling to so many more people.  Again, I’m not insisting cycling is perfect for everyone or every household. It’s certainly not perfect for every journey. Of course not. But I am suggesting there are many of us who might be pleasantly surprised at the upsides of saddling up. I think there are probably many more of us too, who if we were honest, could probably be riding at least some of the journeys that we currently choose to drive instead. And maybe this situation is the little push you need.  Whether you have an e-bike or not, cycling’s obviously a lot cheaper than sitting in traffic. And trust me it’s way more fun, too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barbara Dreaver is no stranger to a challenge.  She’s spent the past three decades shedding light on issues across the Pacific – getting locked up in Fiji, threatened in Papua New Guinea, faced natural disasters, and covered military coups and criminal activity.  An international correspondent and veteran of New Zealand journalism, Dreaver’s faced death threats for her tenacious pursuit of the truth.   Though she normally shines the light on others’ stories, Dreaver’s now decided to tell her own in a new memoir ‘Be Brave’.  She told Jack Tame that focusing on her own story has been really uncomfortable, but kind of cool at the same.  “I’m giving people a look behind the scenes at a time when, you know, media is not really trusted,” Dreaver explained.  “But I really want people to know just the sort of work and the effort and stuff that goes on behind the scenes – also a little bit of personal stuff as well.”  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.