Best Stuff | RNZ Podcasts (2025)

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History with Dr Grant Morris 8:52

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1h ago8:52

8:52

Does what's happened in the past, help explain the present? That's a question Dr Grant Morris has been contemplating and is keen to explore with us today using US President Donald Trump and his adoration for former US President Andrew Jackson as an example.

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Solving the World's Problems: Mayoral Desktastrophe! 9:21

36m ago9:21

9:21

Dave Armstrong joins Jesse to solve some of the world's problems, and today he is looking at the Wellington Mayoral document dump disaster, the new earthquake rules and the return of the gibbons to Wellington Zoo.

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NZ Sporting History with Lorraine Moller 23:28

1h ago23:28

23:28

Marathon runner Lorraine Moller will forever be in the history books, not just for her amazing talent, but because she was competing when women's sport was going through massive, and rapid change. Lorraine took part in the first ever Women's Olympic Marathon at the 1984 LA Olympics, coming fifth, and over her twenty-year career she ended up running…

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Relationships: How to have a hard conversation 15:04

1h ago15:04

15:04

Friendships, workmates, flatmates or love - whatever the status -relationships are tricky. Navigating the highs and the lows can be challenging, especially when it involves hard conversations. That's why we've got a new segment every fortnight that focuses on relationships, here to help guide us through a tough chat is Professor Kirsty Ross from Ma…

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The $290 million NZ building tasked with protecting taonga. 16:07

2h ago16:07

16:07

Wellington's new archive facility is pipped to out-perform the Smithsonian in protecting our taonga, at least that's what the experts say. The 290-million-dollar facility will be known as 'Te Rua: Archives New Zealand' and is designed to meet New Zealand's UNESCO obligations for taonga protection. It's been developed by Dexus, and Phill Stanley is …

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How can you bring joy into your everyday life? 6:25

2h ago6:25

6:25

My next guest has appointed herself a "scholar of joy". Jen Sievers is a renowned Auckland-based artist who has decided to dive head-first into the literary world. The book is 'The Art of Joy: A Creative Guide to Living a Colourful, Juicy Life'. She chats to Jesse.

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"Staunch beyond words" Nicola Toki shares stories of Dr Jane Goodall 15:06

2h ago15:06

15:06

"Warm, kind, inspirational and staunch beyond words" that's how our first guest has described Dr Jane Goodall, who has died aged 91. Jane Goodall was a pioneer in her field, both as a female scientist in the 1960s and for her work studying the behaviour of primates. She was a huge inspiration to friend of the show, Forest and Bird Chief Executive N…

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Stories from Our Changing World 12:12

1h ago12:12

12:12

Time now for Our Changing World, and we're catching up with Claire Concannon. This week she is explaining the mystery of the disappearing sponges of Lough Hyne and what scientists have learnt from their disappearance.

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Feature interview: Why you don't have to live with chronic pain 23:54

2h ago23:54

23:54

Chronic pain is one of medicine's oldest puzzles and most stubborn problems. About one in five people worldwide live with it, and don't really know why. Dr. Sanjay Gupta says it doesn't have to be that way. A neurosurgeon, CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, and host of the podcast Chasing Life, Gupta turns his attention to pain why we experience it…

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Easy Eats: Corn, Green Chilli, Spinach and Cheese Fritters. 5:33

1h ago5:33

5:33

Kelly Gibney joins us with a fritter recipe that sounds delicious!

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Winners of The Surrey Hotel Writers Residency Announced 10:11

34m ago10:11

10:11

Steve Braunias joins Jesse to announce the winners of what he calls the strangest writers residency award in New Zealand. Now in its ninth year, The Surrey Hotel writers residency award celebrates writers who need a little extra support to get their literary idea off the ground.

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We meet the man making the Silver Scroll Awards sing 8:58

44m ago8:58

8:58

For six decades the APRA Silver Scroll has been considered the most prestigious songwriting award in New Zealand. This year's event will take place at Christchurch's Isaac Theatre Royal on Wednesday 29 October, with artists including Marlon Williams, Aaradhna, Nadia Reid competing for the top prize. But someone has to run the show, and today APRA a…

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Are acts of kindness universal? The Kiwi setting off to find out. 10:04

1h ago10:04

10:04

At the start of this year Hamilton's Herman Jagpal set himself an ambitious goal - to share 365 days of kindness. Each day he asks someone at random to help him with a fun task, that could be handing out flowers or inviting strangers to dinner. He documents the whole process on Instagram as "Daily Rejection". Where he noticed a regular comment was …

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Leaving a legacy: We look back at the life of Nigel Latta 7:24

1h ago7:24

7:24

The 58 year old author was best know as a broadcaster, clinical psychologist, and parenting expert. Helping many families to navigate life better Including his work as an ambassador for the charity "Kenzie's gift". A charity which helps tamariki navigate serious illness and death. To celebrate Nigel, and his amazing contribution to our society, Ken…

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You're the Judge! 3:23

2d ago3:23

3:23

We've got a new segment called 'You're the Judge' where we present an issue that's been sent in by one of our listeners, and you, our audience, decide what the right course of action is. So far you have made judgements on if it's okay to kiss your pets then your partner, a family fall out after a funeral, whether a bride and groom can dictate what …

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Feature interview: Is Christianity the tonic the world needs right now? 26:16

8h ago26:16

26:16

Christianity is the load bearing wall that holds up democracy, and it is crumbling says author, journalist, and senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, Jonathan Rauch. A committed atheist, Rauch says citizens need to take a page from the Christian bible and offer compassion to others, forgive and share power otherwise democracy will not survive. …

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Update on Oz with Brad Foster 7:26

9h ago7:26

7:26

Time to talk all things Australia now and our man across the Tasman Brad Foster joins Jesse with the latest from there, starting with an incident in Melbourne yesterday, another triple zero emergency problem, but also touching on that rugby game.

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Book Critic: Putting Ali Smith in the spotlight 9:53

1d ago9:53

9:53

Ali Smith is a Scottish author, playwright, academic and journalist. She's a pretty prolific writer, over the last ten years writing 14 novels, 5 short story collections and 8 plays. Book critic Pip Adams shares why she's a fan, reviewing the latest offerings but also the classics. Gliff (Penguin, November 2024) Glyph (Penguin, 17 February 2026) Se…

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Tech Tuesday with Tim Batt 9:40

10h ago9:40

9:40

Tim joins Jesse to talk about the struggles in the IT sector and tips on what to do if your electronics get wet (hint: it' isn't rice)

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What exactly are "The Enhanced Games" and are they are game changer? 13:13

10h ago13:13

13:13

A new concept called the "Enhanced Games" appears to be sending the traditional sports world into a frenzy. The Enhanced Games are the invention of Australian entrepreneur Aron D'Souza, who says the games will "embrace scientific advancements to push the boundaries of human performance". A particularly controversial aspect of the event is that athl…

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Re-imagining life in Taranaki in the 1940s 8:28

10h ago8:28

8:28

Get used to seeing Airana Ngarewa's face, he's got a new novel out and over the next few weeks he'll be up and down the country appearing at book shops and writers' festivals. The book is 'The Last Living Cannibal', and it's Airana's third book about the Taranaki region. The others covered contemporary life, but this one looks back and reimagines l…

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Nightmare for pet owners: the anguish of a missing animal 11:54

10h ago11:54

11:54

Two weeks ago Matt Jeffery's dog - Sadie - went missing. Since then, Matt and his family - who moved here from South Africa for a better, safer life - have been devastated Not only dealing with the distress of losing your pet, but also the side effects of plastering your phone number of public posters. Jesse talks to Matt.…

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Here Now: Home based early childhood 14:15

1d ago14:15

14:15

As home-based early childcare picks up in popularity, Barnados-employed mother and daughter duo Iman and Hanin Taqieh speak about how it helped change their lives as new mums. Making shifts in their careers to become homebased educators was a decision that gave them flexibility and purpose after their family moved here from Jordan. Hanin Taquieh is…

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Why now's the time to put up guardrails around AI 25:58

2d ago25:58

25:58

Artificial intelligence is giving Daniel Barcay a sense of DeJa'Vu. He's the executive director of the Center for Humane Technology, and co-host of the podcast Your Undivided Attention. When social media first hit the internet so many people talked about it revolutionizing how we connect. What could possibly go wrong? Social media produced the most…

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Expert Feature: How can you make your home more sustainable? 28:03

1d ago28:03

28:03

It's time for our expert feature and today we're looking at ways to make your home more energy efficient. Eion Scott is the Senior Manager Residential at New Zealand Green Building Council, he's with me for the next 30 minutes to share his tips on how to save money on your power bill

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Ryder Cup Chaos 11:02

1d ago11:02

11:02

The Ryder Cup has just finished and in spectacular form Europe has kept the US at bay, managing to retain the Cup. For those of you not familiar with the Ryder Cup, every two years, 24 of the best golf players from Europe and the United States go head-to-head in match play competition. The Ryder Cup website promises "drama, tension, incredible golf…

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What to watch on the small screen 9:54

1d ago9:54

9:54

Claire Chitham joins Jesse with her latest recommendations: Black Rabbit - Netflix The Girlfriend - Prime

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Alex Gilbert's story: On the hunt for his birth family 11:13

1d ago11:13

11:13

Alex Gilbert was adopted by a New Zealand couple in 1994 from the Arkhangelsk orphanage in Russia. In 2013 he travelled to Russia to meet his birth parents for the first time, after using social media to find his mother. His journey was captured in a TV documentary. Now a new documentary follows his quest to find another family member - his grandmo…

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The book helping our kids see the extraordinary in the ordinary 10:21

1d ago10:21

10:21

Author and illustrator Giselle Clarkson has a new book to share. Giselle's first book 'The Observologist' has been a huge international success, translated into 10 languages and the recipient of awards and nominations from all over the world. You might also know her as the artist behind our Critter Of The Week T-Shirts as well. Giselle's new book i…

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What you need to know about influencers and gambling 9:59

1d ago9:59

9:59

Four Kiwi social media influencers have been slapped with big fines by the Government gambling regulator. The fines are for breaching our rules; it's illegal for overseas gambling sites to advertise in New Zealand, including on social media. Millie Elder-Holmes, Calen Morris, Billy Whaanga and Tuhira Wana have each received multiple $5000 fines, wi…

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Critter of the Week: Humpback Whale Louse 16:58

5d ago16:58

16:58

Jesse spoke to Forest and Bird Chief Executive Nicola Toki about it.

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Weekend Stuff: Growing your own food 5:14

5d ago5:14

5:14

Angela Clifford has a new book out called 'The Food Farm' where she discusses the joys of growing your own food.

1
Food: Mandazi African doughnuts. 10:49

4d ago10:49

10:49

Head chef and founder of Le Ciel Bakery Shuchi Bhardwaj shared her recipe for mandazi African doughnuts.

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Film Review: 'One Battle After Another' 13:43

4d ago13:43

13:43

Film reviewer Sam Hollis joined Jesse to review Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another.

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Freaky Friday 4:35

4d ago4:35

4:35

Angie shares a spooky tale about a ghost in Palmerston North.

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Exciting times for book lovers as Booker short list revealed 11:12

6d ago11:12

11:12

RNZ executive editor Jeremy Rees reads and reviews every book shortlisted. He spoke to Jesse.

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What it's like to live in historic homestead 6:24

4d ago6:24

6:24

Our guest Heatha Edwards bought a category two listed historic homestead in Hawkes Bay.

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NZ company at cutting edge of agri-tech 15:54

4d ago15:54

15:54

Ruminant BioTech's Commercial Director George Reeves spoke to Jesse.

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Solving the World's Problems/Your Money with Mary Holm 16:31

5d ago16:31

16:31

Why it's best to choose low-fee funds over high-performing funds.

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A-Zof Aotearoa: Inventions 24:40

5d ago24:40

24:40

From the 40-hour working week and Daylight Savings time, Jet Boats, and the whistle, all the way through to splitting the atom and creating the virtual cow fence... The history of inventing runs deep here in Aotearoa New Zealand. So deep that we even have a name for it - The Number 8 Wire mentality. To learn more about our inventive history David D…

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Group Chat 13:43

5d ago13:43

13:43

Culture 101's Perlina Lau and Afternoons Senior Producer Olivia Wilson joins Jesse to discuss Jimmy Kimmel's return, pop stars calling out "mediocre men" and whether The Rock really has a chance of winning an Oscar.

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New podcast tackles New Zealand's taboo topics 12:29

5d ago12:29

12:29

Gender identity and racial inequality, to drug reform and the future of contact sports. That's some of the topics set to be discussed in a new podcast series released today which aims to tackle the taboo issues we are sometimes too afraid to discuss. The Elephant video series hosts Miriama Kamo and Mark Crysell joined Jesse.…

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How to deal with parking fines 8:43

5d ago8:43

8:43

Parking tickets - they can really ruin your day. While sometimes you have to take one on the chin, some recent media reports have highlighted more predatory behaviour. So, what are our rights when it comes to parking?

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Topping up Wellington's beaches 9:05

5d ago9:05

9:05

Over 20 years ago a major construction project was launched in Wellington to enhance the most popular local beaches. It involved the transport of more than 16,000 cubic metres of sand from Golden Bay in Wainui to three beaches in Oriental Bay in the capital. Well next week a new replenishment project will kick off to maintain the man-made beaches. …

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Stories from Our Changing World 7:05

6d ago7:05

7:05

Ellen Rykers finds out what data a satellite uncovered about methane emissions, before it was lost in space.

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Is self-care making us selfish? 20:57

6d ago20:57

20:57

Self-care used to mean face masks, spa days and meditation apps. Now self-care is drifting into hyper-individualism that champions strict boundaries to 'protect your peace' says New York Times writer Emma Goldberg. People-pleasing is out, but in the rush to look after ourselves, Goldberg wonders if self-help is slipping into isolation even selfishn…

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Easy Eats: Green curry potato and tuna fish cakes 6:43

6d ago6:43

6:43

Kelly Gibney shares her twist on fish cakes.

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Heading Off: Vietnam and Morocco 12:32

6d ago12:32

12:32

Today for Heading Off, Stephen Hassan shared some tales from his father & daughter trip to Vietnam and Morocco.

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Looking at the positive effects of social media for Maori 8:39

6d ago8:39

8:39

We often hear about the negative effects of social media, but our next story looks its transformative impact for kaupapa Maori. Its power in connecting with Maori communities was highlighted in the recent Tamaki Makaurau by-election. Te Pati Maori which resoundingly won the seat, ran its campaign almost entirely online. However Labour relied on tra…

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Health risks of gas stoves 13:43

6d ago13:43

13:43

A report set to be released by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority has connected hundreds of annual deaths with pollution from gas stoves. Dr Lucy Telfar-Barnard, senior research fellow at Otago University's Housing and Health Research Programme spoke to Jesse.