Rnz: Afternoons With Jesse Mulligan

It's time for heading off and today we're heading back in time to 1973 when a group of young travellers loaded two vintage Model A Fords onto a boat in Auckland bound for Sri Lanka from where they planned to drive to the U.K. Listen to find out what happens next.

In Our Changing World, the RNZ podcast, Dr Claire Concannon follows scientists into the bush, over rivers, back to their labs and many places in-between to cover the most fascinating research being done in Aotearoa New Zealand. Every fortnight she also joins us here on Afternoons to chat through her latest discovery, today she joins Jesse to talk about insects and how they communicate.

For many New Zealanders, Treaty settlements are an aspect of our history that is shrouded in mystery & misunderstanding. RNZ podcast The Negotiators takes a closer look at the conversation through seven of the lead negotiators. Host of the podcast Moana Maniapoto joins Jesse to discuss. Click here for a link to the podcast

Woollen mats are now being trialled to smother an invasive oxygen weed threatening to take over some of New Zealand's lake floors. To explain how, Northland Regional Council Biodiversity Manager Lisa Forester chats to Jesse.

Vineyards around the country are approaching harvest time, and while it is still too early to tell how the vintage will go, if it's anything like last year's, thousands of tons of grapes could be left to rot on the vine. The reason for that - we're not drinking as much wine as we used to, in fact in 2024 global consumption was the lowest for more than 6 decades So, what can wine growers do to combat a change in taste? Kim Thorp - owner of Black Barn Vineyard in Hawke's Bay - chats to Jesse.

Humour isn't just for fun it's fundamental says Chris Duffy. Paying attention to the absurd, the awkward, and the quietly funny moments of everyday life doesn't just make us laugh; it makes us more present, more generous, and more connected. Duffy is a stand-up comedian and the host of TED's podcast How to Be a Better Human. There was a time in his life when he turned away from seeing the funny side of life while teaching in a tough Boston school. Finding his way back to laughter changed how he showed up for his students and for himself. His new book is an invitation to do the same. It's called Humor Me: How Laughing Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy.

Our weekly segment where we ask the audience to help with irks or pickles that listeners have sent in. Today it's a conundrum between siblings. One sister is accusing the other of using an ADHD self-diagnosis for poor behaviour.

Tim Batt joins Jesse to discuss Moltbook, a new social network for artificial intelligence agents or bots.

Bill Hastings joins Jesse to review the following books: Margaret Atwood, Book of Lives, A Memoir of Sorts (Chatto & Windus, 2025) Nigel Latta, Lessons on Living (Harper Collins, 2025) Erik Kennedy, Sick Power Trip (VUW Press, 2025)

Mayoral minutes is our new segment where we speak with a local mayor about the challenges they're facing, how they're working to solve them and what makes their community special. Today we're heading to the Selwyn District and Mayor Lydia Gliddon.

A few weeks ago, some locals in Waiatai Valley near Wairoa were devastated to find hundreds of dead eels in the Waiatai stream. Some of the eels, or tuna in te reo Maori, were thought to be 40 to 50 years old. A team from Hawkes Bay Regional Council has been investigating what happened. Council chair Sophie Siers joins Jesse with an update.

It's about a missing dog - Doug the Pug is his name and he has been missing since the middle of January. Now, Doug is no ordinary dog, he is a therapy animal, used at The Northern Health School with kids who are too unwell to attend regular schooling. Monique Burke is a Northern Health School teacher and Doug's owner.

The 'Buller Bluewater Classic' is a new month-long big game fishing competition out of the Port of Westport. It seems warmer water temperatures has resulted in a flurry of marlin along with mahi mahi and giant tuna, and that's got game fishers excited. One of the fishermen leading the charge is Jason Anderson from the 'Reel Adventures with Jase' YouTube channel.

How much AI do you think is used by New Zealand media? All the big newsrooms here have guidelines around the use of AI but as readers, watchers and listeners do you know what they are? After interviewing journalists and news editors, researchers at the Auckland University of Technology, has found the use of AI tools is widespread. So should you be worried? Author of the study, Dr Merja Myllylahti chats to Jesse.

News from the Ministry of Primary Industries reveals that it has found 3 secondary yellow legged hornet nests and successfully treated and removed them. Using tracking, trapping and ground surveillance, along with public notifications, the team has now located and destroyed 49 queens, 51 nests and hundreds of workers to date. Lloyd 'The Waspman' Carpenter discusses the update with Jesse.

For lots of students all over New Zealand, going back to school today is about settling into a new classroom and reconnecting with mates. For many Mums, going back to school includes figuring out the parent politics and mum groups that form every year. This summer, former High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale shared her experience with adult bullying in an Essay for New York Magazine called Breaking up with my toxic mum group. She describes getting iced out of a Mum's group she joined when her daughter was a baby. Clinical psychologist Dr. Christie Ferrari hears versions of this story all the time and offers advice on how to handle mean-mum dynamics.

TV Critic Finn Hogan joins Jesse to chat all things television. He's reviewing: Game of Thrones: Knight of the Seven Kingdoms - Neon Ponies - TVNZ +

It feels like every year we have conversations about the importance of having a will, and yet the number of people without one remains stubbornly high. While it can be tempting to put it off, dying without a will can create far more problems than you might expect. To guide us through the process we're joined by Gary Fitzpatrick. Gary is the co-founder of Comac Trustees and has over 30 years' experience in the trustee industry.

This week Jesse hits the Machine Knitters Club - and chats to club delegate Jeena Monk. If you've got a club you'd like Jesse to join for the day, message us on 2101 or email us, afternoons@rnz.co.nz

We get the latest on news from Australia with our man on the ground Brad Foster.