Afternoons

According to Chris Tremain, there just aren't enough volunteers to keep things running in community sports and as a result kids are missing out. Former MP Chris Tremain - now the president of Hawkes Bay Rugby Union - joins Jesse to discuss.

An outbreak of the deadly hantavirus has led to an ocean cruise turning into a nightmare. Three passengers of the cruise ship MV Hondius have died, one is in intensive care in a South African hospital, and three others were evacuated from the ship earlier this week. So what exactly is hantavirus and how worried should we be? Epidemiologist - Professor Michael Baker - joins me to explain.

It's the little show that can: ten minutes of sense and nonsense with Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan, whether it makes you smile, or grimace, it'll definitely entertain you!

A decade ago, women were told to lean in, to chase the promotion, own ambition and grab a seat at the table. But lately, more women are hitting pause and wondering if that version of success is actually delivering. The internet is obsessed with the girlboss vs tradwife debate between women who chose career over being stay at home parents. But is it really that simple? Emma Waters is a policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, which is an American think tank that's deeply rooted in Christian conservative principles. She argues most lives don't run on one track, they move in seasons. There are years when work comes first, and years when family, relationships, or raising kids takes the lead. She makes the case for setting aside labels, rejecting the idea that women can have it all, and taking the middle path.

Kelly Gibney joins Jesse to share this week's Easy Eats recipe, herb and lemon crumbed beef schnitzel with beetroot and carrot salad.

Time for our weekly travel segment, Heading Off. Each Wednesday after two pm, we chat to someone who's been travelling and get a chance to learn all about their adventures from the comfort of our homes. If you've been somewhere and want to share what you discovered, please email us [email protected] or text 2101 and one of the Afternoons team will be in touch. Today we're jetting to Bulgaria with Mona-Lynn Courteau.

Time now for the Kakapo Files, where the kakapo chicks are growing up fast and starting to leave home, which comes with risks. A couple of weeks ago one of the chicks left the nest, and couldn't get back in. Fortunately, some quick-thinking rangers found him, popped him back in the nest and made him a ramp so he could come and go at will. Claire Concannon has more. Here's the link to the Kakapo Camera if you want to watch for yourself!

At the Taite Music Prize awards the Outstanding Music Journalism Award went to Rosa Nevison, Flynn Robson, and Sam Elliott for their new magazine called Newzician. Born out of a love for music and the music scene, they are only four issues deep but already it's getting lots of attention. Newzician co-editor Rosa Nevison is with Jesse.

Over the past week, stargazers have been craning their necks to see a rare comet crossing the New Zealand sky. We thought we'd better talk about this on Afternoons, because once the comet - known as C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS - disappears, it won't be visible for another 170,000 years. Josh Aoraki is an astronomer at Te Whatu Stardome in Auckland, he joins Jesse to tell us more.

Kiwi researchers are calling for action after completing a study that shows screen time could lead to long term harm to our children's development. Children's screen use is linked with later difficulties with skills such as attention, planning and self-control, according to a University of Auckland study pulling together research from around the world. Claire Reid is the PhD student leading the research and she joins Jesse to explain what she's learnt.