Afternoons

The critter of the week is the newly crowned Bug of the Year 2026, the Avatar moth! This beautiful day-flying moth is only found on the Denniston Plateau, from 640 to 850m. They eat alpine marshwort found in ephemeral wetlands and enjoy basking in the sun to help regulate their body temperature. Males find females through pheromones and use their furry comb-like antenna to locate them. This year, they came first in the 2026 Bug of the Year competition, with an overwhelming 5192 votes! The Avatar moth is "Nationally Critical" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

We all know how important a good night's sleep is, there is a whole industry promoting it! But have you ever considered what the environment you're sleeping in is like? Rachael Quin, from thehousekeeper.co.nz, is here to share tips on making sure your bedroom is sleep friendly.

Shared Kitchen's Julie Biuso joins me to talk us through this delicious twist on avocado and toast. Get the recipe here.

Today on NZ Live we're joined by Georgia Knight. Georgia performed songs from her debut album 'Beanpole' in the RNZ Christchurch studio.

Movie critic Dominic Corry joins Jesse in the Auckland studio to review: Crime 101, now in cinemas, No Other Choice, in cinemas this week, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, in cinemas next week.

Freaky Friday time! The place for all your spooky and unexplainable stories. Jesse spoke to Jill, who shared a story of her encounter with a ghost in Gisborne in the early 90s.

A new international proposal is sparking debate in the autism community, with a diagnosis of "profound autism" now under consideration. The proposed diagnosis would describe autistic people who have little or no functional language, an IQ below 50, and who require 24-hour supervision and care. A new Australian study has taken a closer look at what this could mean for children and their families. Jesse spoke with Dr Antoinette Hodge, a Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist at The Children's Hospital at Westmead in New South Wales.

Now we're heading to the centre of the North Island where Waimarino Golf Club is marking it's 100th birthday this Easter. At 580 metres above sea level, set against a stunning backdrop that is Mount Ruapehu - it's not hard to see why it's had enduring appeal. But like lots of country courses, it really has to be innovative to keep going. Club President Aiden Gilbert joined Jesse.

Recent severe weather and flooding have seen a huge number of 'states of emergency' declared across the country. In fact, there has already been more states of emergency declared in 2026 than all of last year, and we're only in February. So, what's behind this rise and how does the whole process work? John Price, Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management spoke to Jesse.

Well, it's the story that's got everyone talking - former Prince Andrew was arrested on Thursday morning UK time on suspicion of misconduct in public office ... The arrest follows allegations that he shared confidential government material with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He is the first senior British royal in modern history to be arrested. He has since been 'released under investigation' with King Charles saying in a statement that, "the law must take its course." So, what will this mean for the monarchy moving forward? Dr Grant Morris spoke to Jesse.