Afternoons

Freedom camping is a classic Kiwi pastime, but restrictions are getting tighter and tighter. Queenstown Lakes District Council has voted in a new bylaw that will restrict freedom campers to 15 designated areas with a total of 141 carparks. The council says a steady increase in the number of freedom campers visiting Queenstown has forced them to set a bylaw so they can control it. They recieved public submissions when a draft was put forward in June, with the vast majority of respondants saying it was too permissive. So, if you're a regular freedom camper, what do you need to know? Where can you pitch a tent these days? James Imlach is the national manager of property and policy for the NZ Motor Caravan Association and talks to Jesse.

On average we breathe in around 20,000 times a day, but for the most part, it happens automatically. We don't think about it. Despite that our breath and the way we breathe can have a huge impact on our mental and physical wellbeing. Think about it, if you're dealing with a difficult situation what do you do? Stop and take breath. But there's soo much more to it than that. Art of Living is a global leader in meditation and breathwork. It teaches the skills across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. National co-ordinator Andrew Melville breathes with Jesse.

It's time to talk money with Mary Holm now, which is something Mary and Jesse have been doing for ten years this month. To mark that anniversary Mary asked you to send in the tips and tricks that have seen you change your financial habits. She joins Jesse to share the results.

Time for our next instalment of A-Z of Aotearoa, we've covered Inventions, Fish & Chips, Charles Upham, Dairies, the Great Walks, Billy T James and today we're looking at the career of the first true global superstar of rugby Jonah Lomu. It will be ten years next month since he died, and while he needs no introduction, it's good to reflect. At just 20 years old Jonah exploded onto the world stage at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa running over Mike Catt for that famous try and any other defender that stood in his way. He became a global phenomenon almost overnight going on to play 63 matches for the All Blacks and scoring 37 tries Sky Sport rugby commentator Tony Johnson joins Jesse in the Auckland studio to remember Jonah

Right, it's time now for Group Chat, our chance to talk about all the conversations filling up your chats, the topics discussed at the school gate or in the office kitchen. Today Jesse is joined by Kate Rodger and Afternoons Senior Producer Olivia Wilson, and they're chatting about Taylor Swift's new album and the mixed reviews and Jimmy Fallon's decision to "not be political".

Jesse speaks with geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller about the Gaza deal announced today.

Here on Afternoons, we're big proponents of conservation efforts so we're thrilled to chat to our next guest. Cally Whitman is the author and photographer of a new book that is an historical exploration of the impact of introduced species. The book is called "The Long Shadow: How Introduced Species Changed the Fauna of Aotearoa"

We're talking about firefighters now, but less about them fighting fires, and more about them promoting mental health. Bevin James is with me, he's a former firefighter now turned flower farmer, but he hasn't left his old job totally behind, he's the man responsible for the Kiwi Firefighters calendar The 2026 edition - released earlier this week - aims to raise ten, maybe even 100's of thousands for Movember's Whanaungatanga project

Endometriosis is estimated to affect one in ten Kiwi women, it can cause debilitating pain and really affect women's ability to live life to the fullest. But today we saw an exciting headline - the first treatment for endometriosis in nine years is now registered in New Zealand. It's called Ryeqo. Professor Neil Johnson, a gynaecologist from the Auckland Gynaecology Group, former president of the World Endometriosis Society, and an investigator for the international trials of Ryeqo chats to Jesse.

From the public service sector to businesses to individuals, AI's uptake across New Zealand has been rapid. And it's not just large language models. Claire Concannon meets researchers who are harnessing different kinds of artificial intelligence to boost aquaculture, prepare for a measles outbreak and assist in urban conservation. But alongside the benefits sit potential harms. How can we try to minimise them in our AI future?