Summer Weekends Podcast Options

10:07 AM.Over the summer we're profiling some of our Olympic hopefuls in less well known sports. Today it's the turn of BMX rider Jessie Smith, whose mentor and sponsor is London Olympic BMX silver medallist… Read more Audio

9:45 AM.Travel writer Heather Hapeta has an allotment at Tanera Park in Wellington, within an organic garden there. For an apartment dweller like herself, the gardens give her a chance to get some fresh air… Read more Audio

9:25 AM.Thunderbirds, Gerry and Silvia Anderson's popular futuristic puppet sci-fi puppet TV series only had two series, on air from 1964 to 1966. The Dinky die-cast merchandise based on the characters and… Read more Audio, Gallery

9:09 AM.Our series on lifesavers continues with the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue's senior rescue pilot and operations manager Stuart Farquhar. Over his 20 years on the job, Stuart Farquhar has no shortage… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.Auckland designer Haydn Jack graduated in 2016, and has already taken out six New Zealand Best Design Awards. He talks to Lynn Freeman about what he's working on.

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8:30 AM.Wildlife photographer Bill Morris has, for more than a decade, worked for NHNZ and other companies, filming the seabirds and sea lions of New Zealand's sub Antarctic Islands for TVNZs Our Big Blue… Read more Audio, Gallery

8:09 AM.Fires burning on the east coast of Australia are expected to get worse today - with officials saying it is expected to be a very dangerous day. East Gippsland Shire Councillor, Mark Reeves, and… Read more Audio

11:50 AM.Yesterday we spoke to a bookseller in the Wairarapa town of Carterton - and today we're heading about 30 kilometres south to another spot in the region - Martinborough. And we're speaking to Deborah… Read more Audio

11:20 AM.Glow in the dark collars are proving to be an effective way of helping birds to evade cats. It's one of the findings of the CatMap project in New Plymouth, where GPS units attached to cat harnesses… Read more Audio, Gallery

11:06 AM.Auckland's prized Hauraki Gulf islands are under seige from the sea setting archaeologists in a race against time to save important historic sites. One is Auckland council Specialist Archaeologist… Read more Audio, Gallery

10:50 AM.Theo Papouis is a young chef who, just over two years ago, opened up a restaurant in Strathmore after being inspired by the way food is served overseas, in particular, Cyprus.  Read more Audio

10:05 AM.Play it Strange is a charity that allows students to write and play music. It is the brainchild of Mike Chunn of Split Enz fame. He joins Lynn Freeman to play a selection of songs from this year's… Read more Audio

9:45 AM.New Zealand pro surfer Billy Stairmand never dreamed of representing New Zealand at the Olympic games growing up because it wasn't an Olympic sport. But it will be in next year's Summer Olympic Games… Read more Video, Audio

9:30 AM.Ahead of the Summer Olympics in Japan in 2020, Lynn Freeman chats to the Olympic team's all important Chef de Mission, Rob Waddell. Read more Audio

9:06 AM.We talk to Peter Newport - editor of Queenstown based online news outlet - Crux that he started around 18 months ago. Peter talks to Lynn Freeman about the big plans he has for Crux in 2020. Read more Audio

8:45 AM.We continue our series on lifesavers, lifeguards Malcolm McClurg and Toni Cranko join us to talk about the beaches they patrol.  Read more Audio

8:30 AM.Environmental historian Dr Jonathan West, who's received a $12,000 New Zealand History Trust Fund Award talks to Lynn Freeman about how lakes can tell the story of what's happened in their catchment. 

8:25 AM.We cross live to the MetService to get the weather for the week ahead. Audio

8:12 AM.Moera speaks to Lynn about the wider effect the cyclone could have on Fiji, and the wider Pacific. Audio

8:09 AM.We cross to the Ellie van Baaren from the Red Cross to get the latest on the cyclone in Fiji. Audio

11:50 AM.Over the summer we'll be talking to people who've made books their livelihood - crossing to them to ask about their shop's place in the community, and what's been popular over the holiday break. Today… Read more Audio

11:30 AM.The Weekend Host Lynn Freeman takes us to Helsinki, where she spent a few days in May, 2019.  Read more Audio, Gallery

11:04 AM.Our next story looks at a man who's translating classic children's texts into te reo Maori - he says mostly for his own fun! Associate Professor Tom Roa from Waikato University translated Alice in… Read more Audio

10:20 AM.Simon Sweetman looks at a trilogy of albums by Dave Dobbyn that saw him make his name as more than an 'anthem-writer', by exploring deep, dark, personal issues. Read more Audio