Summer Weekends for Saturday 24 January 2026

9:05 Stephen Lovatt – Star of Stage and Screen

For 40 years Stephen Lovatt has graced New Zealand's stage and screen. At the recent New Zealand Screen Awards. he was awarded best actor in a series for his role as the often abrasive Dr Emmett Whitman in Shortland Street. Stephen's resume runs the gamut of New Zealand theatre, film and tv from Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules to a five year stint on Neighbours and his stage work includes the New Zealand classic – Bruce Mason's 'The End of the Golden Weather'. Stephen stopped by the RNZ studios to speak with Susana, in between filming the latest episode for Shortland Street.

9:30 Hey Chick!  Awaiting the one-thousandth Albatross chick 

This week, fingers crossed, will mark an exciting milestone at the world's only mainland albatross colony at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula. Its one-thousandth Northern Royal Albatross chick will hatch! It'll grow into a 10- or 11-kilogram bird with a wingspan of up to 3 metres. Susana is joined by Dunedin DOC ranger, Sharyn Broni.  

 

9.45 It’s Quiz Time!  

It's quiz time – each day on Summer Weekend we've been meeting quiz meisters from around the motu who write their own quizzes. Today's has been pulling quizzes together for 6 years. Jamie Green joins Susana from Dunedin. 

10.07 Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina Sumeo on the pay equity committee 

The People's Select Committee on Pay Equity was established so New Zealanders can voice their opinions on pay equity – following policy amendments made by the coalition government in May 2025. The committee is made up of former members of Parliament from across the political spectrum. 

Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina Sumeo is the Pacific adviser to the People’s Select Committee on Pay Equity. She speaks to Susana about the road ahead for campaigners.  

10:30 Fijian Flying Circus swoops into town

The Fijian Flying Circus is bringing their action-packed show to New Zealand for the Hamilton Arts Fest and Wellington Fringe Festivals from next week. Sachiko Soro is the brains behind the circus – she started an arts academy almost twenty years ago which acts as a springboard literally and figuratively for young Fijians to find work and skills then spread their wings. 

10:40 Island roundup: D'Urville Island 

We're doing some island hopping on Summer Weekends, heading to a few of New Zealand's less populated islands to find out what life is like there. We've already checked in with Great Barrier, Rekohu – the Chatham Islands and today we're off to D'Urville Island - New Zealand's 8th largest island and the largest in the Marlborough Sounds.

Terry Savage has lived on D'Urville, permanent population about 50, for 33 years. He speaks to Susana. 

11.05 Books on Seddon 

We're continuing our tour around the country to visit second-hand book stores. Today we're in the Waikato gold mining town of Waihi. It’s home to Books on Seddon, a shop upstairs on the main street – comprised of six interconnecting rooms. It’s owned by former librarian Margaret Kaye. 

11:25 Meeting the Anonymous Orators 

Orators Anonymous describes itself as a Māori Pasifika queer-coded podcast covering pop culture, indigenous knowledge and laidback chit-chat The podcast is a co-production between RNZ and Creative NZ. A couple of the orators, Coco Solid and Mana Vaea sit down with Susana to talk about the orgins and making of Orators Anonymous and the feedback they've been receiving so far.   

Creative New Zealand, NZ On Air and RNZ have together supported the podcast proposals through a one-off co-fund designed to address a deficit in media coverage about arts and culture in Aotearoa.

Creative New Zealand’s New Mirrors research, published in 2023, highlighted the need to strengthen arts and culture coverage.

 

11.45 Opera in the Park soprano star Katherine Winitana

Tonight, the people of Auckland and visitors to Tāmaki Makaurau have the opportunity to experience some of opera's favourite songs in a free, outdoor performance. It's one of two twilight concerts - there's another next weekend - that are part of Auckland Council's Music in Parks. People are being encouraged to pack picnics, sit back and enjoy some exquisite classical music. Soprano Katherine Winitana will be on the stage tonight -and she joins Susana to tell her about the concert.