Afternoons for Friday 14 March 2025

1:15 Jackie Diprose: The woman feeding Matamata

The school lunch fiasco has been headline news for months. Whatever you think about the lunches themselves there's another contentious point in the scheme... It's done on a whole school basis, dependant on the schools decile ranking. That means there are some children - the less well off attending schools in higher income area - that fall through the cracks. Jackie Diprose noticed that in her home town of Matamata. So she decide to do something about it.

1:25 Another string in the bow: from mental health to medals

Archery is a lesser-known sport in New Zealand, but we're about to speak to a local player who's been turning heads on the global stage for the last few years.

Riku van Tonder took out third place in the Las Vegas Shoot in 2019 - just a few years after picking up the bow as a mental health tool. He's since been sponsored to compete across the states and around the world.

Riku is one of three local players who will be vying for spots at the World Games in this weekend's Oceania qualifiers this weekend.Competitors are also landing in Auckland from Australia, Fiji, Tahiti and Tonga.

Riku shares his story with Jesse Mulligan. 

1:35 Gardening - it's funnier than you think

We love our gardening here on Afternoons - almost as much as we love a laugh. Lucky for us, a kiwi comedian has put the two together into one-woman show.

Donna Brookbanks has been touring Green Fingered around the country since mid-last year, in which a loveable but very kooky gardener named Desiree Green hosts a live episode of her TV show. And without giving too much away, things unravel from there as she tries to convince TV executives not to pull the show.

Donna is in the middle of a three-show run down in Dunedin as part of the Fringe Festival.

1:45 Freaky Friday: The Ghost Cat

Afternoons listeners send in their freaky and scary stories of the supernatural and weird and then we invite them onto the show to retell their tale. 

Today Melissa tells us her story of the cat that wasn't a cat. 

2:10 Film Review: The Rule of Jenny Penn

Kate Rogers joins Jesse Mulligan to review: The Rule Of Jenny Penn, Black Bag, and Firebrand.

2:20 NZ Live: Womb

Sibling trio WOMB are back with their highly anticipated third album One Is Always Heading Somewhere. The album is out today and to celebrate we have them in our Auckland studio.

3:08 Food: Boost Mac Salad

Today we're talking to chef Bridget Foliaki-Davis. 

She cut her teeth in the 1990s training in Auckland, before moving to Australia and working as head chef for celebrity cook and food writer, the late Bill Granger.

After something of a life changing moment in her 40s, she's adopted a mission to educate people about healthy eating in her various cookbooks. 

Bridget's recipe today is having it both ways: Is this a salad that thinks it's a burger, or a burger that thinks it's a salad? Either way, it's delicious. Get the recipe here. 

3:16 Music 101: Charlotte Ryan

Charlotte Ryan, host of Music 101 here on RNZ each Saturday afternoon from 1pm talks about what's happening on the music scene over the weekend, what's coming up on her show tomorrow and because Friday is new music day - she'll pick us a track to play.

 

3:25 Weekend Stuff: DIY with Stan Scott 

Are you repairing your deck this weekend? Are you rehanging doors or wallpapering that spare room? 

If you are staring down the barrel of any DIY work around the house this weekend, Stan Scott may have some valuable advice for you.

Stan is Afternoon's regular construction and handy man advice person. Text 2101 or email jesse@rnz.co.nz if you have any questions for him.

3:35 Critter of the Week Australasian flying fish

This week’s critter is the maroro or Australasian flying fish, Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus melanocercus, one of five flying fish species in northern New Zealand waters.

Flying fish are famous worldwide for their unique ability to soar over the ocean's surface. Some flying fish can glide an incredible 400 m over the ocean’s surface in a single mighty leap! The sleek, silvery fish keep their winglike fins folded like a Swiss army knife while swimming underwater and can reach swimming speeds of up to 60 kph. 

3:45 The pre-Panel

Wallace Chapman and producer Sam Hollis join Jesse in the studio to preview tonight's instalment of The Panel.