Best Thomas Rillstone Podcasts (2025)

1
171 - The Transit of Venus 42:59

Play Pause

4d ago42:59

42:59

Cook finally does the thing he came halfway around the world to do: Observe the Transit of Venus. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
My Birb of the Year 2025 31:26

11d ago31:26

31:26

It's that time of year again! BOTY is back! As is tradition, I've picked a bird to tell you all about and hopefully pick up your vote. This year we are discussing the ngutu pare, the wrybill! birdoftheyear.org.nz Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
170 - Will They, Won't They 32:04

18d ago32:04

32:04

We return to May 1769 where the quadrant, a vital piece of equipment for observing the Transit of Venus, was stolen and then recovered. In the course of this, Tutaha had been arrested against Cook’s orders, being handled rather roughly and in such a way to cause great insult. Today we see how this affected the pair's relationship. Check out the web…

1
169 - Twice as Nice 28:07

26d ago28:07

28:07

Tupaia is trying to navigate his way through the ever changing and deadly world of Tahitan politics as the two major leaders of the island clash. Can he come out the other side unscathed? Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
168 - Game of Thrones 25:50

1M ago25:50

25:50

Tupaia has escaped to Tahiti and soon realises that if he wants to survive he needs to make himself useful. The island is going through a rather chaotic time politically and Tupaia is known to be a smooth operator, in more ways than one, so he hitches his wagon to Purea. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See aca…

1
167 - Tupaia 34:33

1M ago34:33

34:33

James Cook has now met Tupaia, high priest of Tahiti and advisor to the chief Purea. He is going to become very important to our story so it is worth going back a few years in the timeline to talk about his early life as well as the culture and history of the Society Islands through his eyes. This will set us up nicely for the next episode where we…

1
166 - The Quadrant Catastrophe 32:25

2M ago32:25

32:25

Final preparations are underway for the Transit of Venus as the equipment is calibrated only to find shock a vital instrument is missing! Where did it go?! We also meet the other power player that Tutaha is competing against for control of the island of Tahiti; the supposed queen herself, Purea. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron!…

1
165 - Culture Clash 29:50

2M ago29:50

29:50

Now that they had made contact, Cook quickly sets to work establishing friendly relations with the Tahitians while also trying to assess who the movers and shakers are in their society. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
164 - Tahiti 28:48

2M ago28:48

28:48

The Endeavour crosses the Pacific and arrives at her destination, Tahiti. However, pretty quickly Cook is concerned that his crew will run amok so he puts procedures in place to ensure everything goes smoothly between them and the local Polynesians. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor…

1
163 - Crossing the Line 31:59

2M ago31:59

31:59

Cook's expedition finally gets underway as they sail across the Atlantic bound for the South Pacific. But not before they get into a spot of bother in Rio along the way... Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
162 - The Nerds 40:18

2M ago40:18

40:18

Just as he was about to head off, James Cook was told that he had to take on a new group of people on his expedition, which caused a number of issues. However, the Royal Society were adament they come along. The leader of these late arrivals was none other than famed botanist Joesph Banks, who will become a key player in our story. Today, we talk a…

1
161 - Welcome to the Crew 30:06

3M ago30:06

30:06

Now that we have looked at the HMB Endeavour, it's worth introducing the colourful cast of characters that will be sailing her. From lofty lieutenants all the way down to salty seamen! Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
160 - Endeavour 29:59

3M ago29:59

29:59

We look more closely at the ship that will be taking Cook and his crew into the Pacific for his first voyage, such as how she was acquired by the Royal Navy, her overall physical characteristics and how she was modified to be fit for this expedition. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo…

1
159 - Scientific Struggles 29:20

3M ago29:20

29:20

What was Cook's first voyage actually hoping to achieve? What was the background of the collaboration between the Royal Society and the Admiralty? The answers to these questions and more in this episode! Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
158 - Humble Beginnings 33:55

3M ago33:55

33:55

Here he is, the big one! Today we look at the childhood and early career of possibly the most famous person in New Zealand's history; James Cook. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
157 - Around the World in 1769: Sweden and Britain 25:23

4M ago25:23

25:23

For the final part of our tour across the globe we head to the chiller parts of Europe to see what was going on for them during this exciting period! Listen to A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast here! Listen to Kingdöm here! Listen to Prime Factors here! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
156 - Around the World in 1769: Conclave 20:36

5M ago20:36

20:36

The pope is dead, time to elect a new pope! You can listen to Pontifacts here! You can listen to Popeular History and Cardinal Numbers here! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
155 - Around the World in 1769: France and the USA 11:32

5M ago11:32

11:32

Today we continue heading further west to hear about two great friends with rather exciting futures ahead of them! Check out the French History Podcast here! Check out We Effed Up here! Check out Imperfect Men here! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
154 - Around the World in 1769: India and Iran 22:43

6M ago22:43

22:43

Today we continue our world tour as we talk about what was going on in India and Iran in the year 1769 with the History of Fresh Produce and the History of Persia! You can find the History of Fresh Produce here and the History of Persia here! Of course you can also find them wherever you are listening to this episode! Check out the website and show…

1
153 - Around the World in 1769: China 40:33

6M ago40:33

40:33

As we are approaching a rather pivotal point in Aotearoa's history, I thought it might be good to take some time to get some context of what else is going in around the world (and also give you something interesting to listen to while I work on the next set of episodes!). So over the next few weeks, we will be having a series of guests telling us a…

1
152 - Tinirau and the Whale 18:56

7M ago18:56

18:56

We haven't had one of these in a while! A Māori story about a man, his whale and the woman who saves the day. Warning: (spoilers) Involves animal death Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
151 - Tuna (Eels) 1:16:39

7M ago1:16:39

1:16:39

I'm currently in deep in the research of our next major explorer and I need a bit more time to get that all done since it's a big-un! To tide you over there is going to be some episodes that are a bit adjacent to what we normally talk about, such as today we will follow the style of our Bird of the Year episodes except this time we will talk about …

1
150 - An Eye for an Eye 40:02

8M ago40:02

40:02

Today we see what the French explorers on the St Jean Baptiste got up to in their final days in Aotearoa. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
149 - Tāwhirimātea Strikes Again 35:42

8M ago35:42

35:42

Today the atua of wind and storm returns for round 2, attempting to destroy the St Jean Baptiste and cutting of Second Lieutenant Pottier from his comrades. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
148 - Hounds of the Lord 30:24

9M ago30:24

30:24

Most of ariki Pawhero's people have left Doubtless Bay for a shark hunt so today we will see how Jean de Surville got on with other rangatira in the area. We also talk about wtf the St Jean Baptiste's chaplin, Father de Villefeix. was doing on this expedition. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. Se…

1
147 - The Negotiator 35:58

9M ago35:58

35:58

The relationship between Ngāti Kahu of Doubtless Bay and the French of the St Jean Baptiste strains even further as both sides become concerned for their own wellbeing. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Christmas 2024 Update 9:10

9M ago9:10

9:10

Just a little update from me on what's been happening behind the scenes and where we are headed going forward! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
146 - Knock Knock, It’s Europe 2: Electric Boogaloo 33:57

9M ago33:57

33:57

Captain de Surville has now made contact with Māori in Aotearoa and now needs to keep friendly relations with them if he intends to secure the supplies he needs to save his men and continue the expedition. However, Māori have their own concerns about these newcomers... Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on …

1
145 - Salvation 31:38

10M ago31:38

31:38

The St Jean Baptiste has finally found land after two desperate months of low supplies, scurvy and dying men. Today we will see how de Surville and his crew got on in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
144 - Revelations 35:47

10M ago35:47

35:47

Captain de Surville has devised a plan to sail to New Zealand, last found by Tasman 127 years ago, to save his dying crew. However, for the first time since the voyage began he wanted a second opinion from Labé. Before we talk about what Labé thought about this plan, we need jump back to the meeting in Chandernagore in January 1769 to explain what …

1
143 - Reaper's Due 30:50

11M ago30:50

30:50

The crew of the St Jean Baptiste are now dying of scurvy. They desperately need to find somewhere safe to anchor, rest and gather supplies. The situation is becoming more and more dire by the day. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
142 - Guns, Germs and Spears 24:36

11M ago24:36

24:36

The St Jean Baptiste find a much needed island to resupply. However, not all is as it seems and by the end, the crew will find themselves in a worse position than when they arrived. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Music used in this episode: Track: "High Anxiety_Full Mix" Music provided by https://slip.stream D…

1
141 - The Beast Within 30:40

12M ago30:40

30:40

Last episode we finished just after three men deserted the ship on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, just kinda making a run for it into the jungle. Today we will see how de Surville reacted to this and get a sense of how he intends to conduct himself going forward. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted …

1
140 - Malaysian Adventures 26:42

1y ago26:42

26:42

The St Jean Baptiste continues on her journey from India around the Malay Peninsula where her crew faces a few trials and tribulations! Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Birb of the Year 2024 1:00:50

1y ago1:00:50

1:00:50

As we head towards the end of the year, it is time for the Bird of the Year competition run by Forest & Bird! As usual I have picked a bird to do some research on and tell you all about. This year it is the koekoeā/Long Tailed Cuckoo. We will be back to our regularly scheduled programming in a fortnight! Check out the website and shownotes! Become …

1
139 - Starting as They Mean to Go On 29:01

1y ago29:01

29:01

The 1769 expedition of the St Jean Baptiste gets underway! We talk about all the problems that came up pretty much immediately as they sailed down the eastern coast of India and we discuss how much the voyage cost. Which I know sounds boring but it's actually pretty interesting cause it cost waaaaay too much, but why? Check out the website and show…

1
138 - Merchant, Sailor, Soldier, Captain 35:09

1y ago35:09

35:09

Today we cover the early life of the next European captain who would come to Aotearoa's shores, Jean Francois Marie de Surville. We also talk about how his ill fated expedition into the Pacific was conceived. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
137 - Pacific Enlightening 33:51

1y ago33:51

33:51

Europeans don't return to Aotearoa for over 100 years after the expedition of Abel Tasman so today we will be covering the broad strokes of what Europe was up to that would lead them back to exploring the South Pacific. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Mid-Winter Check In 6:44

1y ago6:44

6:44

Just a short update on what I've been up to behind the scenes, where we are going and a couple of episode recommendations that came out from other podcasts recently that relate to us! 80 Days Episode Pax Britannica Episode Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati…

1
136 - Profitable Lands 31:19

1y ago31:19

31:19

Abel Tasman returns to Batavia after a 10 month expedition and his bosses give their final reports. How was Aotearoa's first European visitor to be remembered? Listen to find out! Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
135 - Back Into The Blue 25:21

1+ y ago25:21

25:21

Abel Tasman and his crew were successfully scared off by Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri at Mohua/Golden Bay after a brief skirmish. Today we will follow the Dutch as they make their way north along Aotearoa's coast before leaving our shores for the wider Pacific. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.c…

1
134 - I am the One Who Knocks 30:58

1+ y ago30:58

30:58

Abel Tasman has arrived in Mohua/Golden bay and the Māori of Taupo Point pā want to get the measure of these newcomers. It's time for the first meeting of Europe and Aotearoa. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
133 - Knock Knock, It's Europe 23:41

1+ y ago23:41

23:41

For the last few episodes you would be forgiven for thinking this was the VOC Podcast. It's taken us a bit of time but we finally make it back to the part of the world that we are interested as we continue to follow Abel Tasman's 1642 expedition. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr…

1
132 - Old Land, New Land 31:38

1+ y ago31:38

31:38

Abel Tasman finally gets his expedition underway in 1642, heading into the South Pacific in search of gold and glory. We also discuss a bit about our sources too! Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
131 - Sailing Instructions 40:56

1+ y ago40:56

40:56

Today we discuss the instructions that Abel Tasman was given by the Batavian Council for his 1642 expedition. This included anything from what ships and supplies he would be given right through to how he should interact with indigenous peoples. This will help us understand Tasman's actions as well as give us a frame of reference for how the Council…

1
130 - Shōgun 26:28

1+ y ago26:28

26:28

We continue Abel Tasman's story, this time in the lead up to his famous expedition in 1642, which sees him get caught up in the ongoing conflict between Europe and Japan. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy some merch! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
129 - Chasing Geese 36:04

1+ y ago36:04

36:04

Having covered the background of the Dutch Empire and the VOC in the previous episode, today we will be looking at the early life and career of our main character for the next little while, Abel Tasman. We talk about how he came to be part of the Dutch East India Company and take a look at his first major voyage. Check out the website and shownotes…

1
128 - What's a Europe? 35:56

1+ y ago35:56

35:56

It's a new year and this time we are beginning a new chapter in the story of Aotearoa! Today we talk about some people on the other side of the globe that call themselves Europeans and give a bit of backstory to what they were up to just before these Pacific islands were added to their maps. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Buy…

1
HANZ Season 2 Trailer 2:38

1+ y ago2:38

2:38

A new era of HANZ is dawning, the eyes of the world a turning eastward as the engines of empire grow hungry. Our adventure is just getting started. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
127.5 - Q+A 2023 39:28

1+ y ago39:28

39:28

To end our chapter on the pre-European period of Aotearoa's history I asked for your questions and you delivered! You guys sent in so many/I spoke too much that I had to split the episode into 5 parts. I messed up the audio a little bit in these episodes and it was gonna be a huge hassle to fix it so I've decided to leave it as is. It's not awful, …