Afternoons

Right we're off to Mosgiel to talk to retired farmer Geoff Neilson. You see, Geoff and his wife Ailsa are the recipients of a new award from six major Welsh farming organisations. Since the 1970s Geoff and Ailsa have hosted over a hundred young Welsh famers on their Southern sheep farm ... that effort has now been recognised with the "International Relations Award"

We're starting our first show of 2026 looking at the tragic events at Mt Maunganui. While lots of locals are still in a state of shock and sadness over the deadly landslide, for some that's turned to anger. A few officials have described the event as "unprecedented", but others are saying we should've seen it coming. Bryce Edwards, director of The Democracy Project, joins Jesse to discuss.

Did you know we have nine mistletoes native to New Zealand? Meet Peraxilla tetrapetala, the endemic red mistletoe! They are especially slow growing and rely on birds such as tui and bellbirds for pollination and seed dispersal. The flowers have an explosive bud opening mechanism triggered by birds when they try to get to the nectar inside. Unlike its overseas cousins, this mistletoe is endangered due to possum browsing, habitat decline and low bird numbers and should not be collected!

Weekend stuff with Lynda Hallinan

Manager of Auckland Council's Kitchen Project Connie Clarkson joins me now with a divine sounding dish. The recipe is here

Our critic Dom Corry shares his picks from the latest crop of new releases. Avatar: Fire and Ash, released in theaters this week. The Housemaid, which is in theaters Christmas Day.

On Monday we spoke with the director of 'The Age Of Disclosure' about his new documentary on UFO's .. which are now officially known as UAP's or Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. Loads of you got in touch with your own theories, and stories. Including Peter Hassall, he's the author of 'The NZ Files' - a history of UFO sightings in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

The irony of course is that despite it being the season when people come together to break bread and party, it's also an increasingly stressful time for many. And what do you do when you're stressed? You call Chris Parker. Chris is withe Jesse to share his Christmas survival guide.

Could human tears be the key to diagnosing Parkinson's disease? Well, that's what some New Zealander researchers are trying to find out. Parkinson's disease affects more than 12,000 New Zealanders and is the fastest-growing chronic neurological disorder in the world. New Zealander researchers are leading a world-first study looking at tears and the role they might play in early diagnosis of Parkinson's. Dr Victor Dieriks Senior Research Fellow at University of Auckland and the lead researcher for this study.

It's been a huge week in New Zealand sport - but not so much for action on the field. This morning news broke of the resignation of New Zealand Cricket chief executive Scott Weenick, which comes less than 24 hours after Netball New Zealand announced CEO Jennie Wyllie has quit. RNZ sports reporter Dana Johannsen has been across it all and joins Jesse in the studio to discuss.