Rnz: Afternoons With Jesse Mulligan

We're making our way through the alphabet diving deep into all things Kiwiana - looking at the people, places and moments that make up New Zealand. We're up to the letter 'O' so today we'll be discussing the "big O.E" the overseas experience that's long been a rite of passage for young New Zealanders. Over the next half hour, we'll hear from someone who went to London and never came back, a teenage traveller who did things a little differently and what an OE looks like in 2026.

Here to help navigate the issues is Professor Kirsty Ross from Massey University's School of Psychology. This week she's looking at family feuds, outspoken friends and thin-skinned colleagues.

It'll get 35 million dollars from the Government's Regional Infrastructure Fund to build the bespoke facility, and its purpose will be to house what the company refers to as their "next generation device", Tahi. To explain what all of that means and how it could impact how we generate and consume energy, OpenStar CEO and founder Ratu Mataira chats to Jesse.

Ralph Johnston, the Waitangi Trust Chief Executive, talks us through some of the most memorable moments of Waitangi Day commemorations.

Auckland Professor Dame Margaret Brimble has more accolades than many of us have had hot dinners, that's an exaggeration of course but goodness me the list is long. She's been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society London, awarded the Royal Society London Davy Medal, and had awards from the American Chemical Society and other highly esteemed places. Now Dame Margaret has been named an Honorary Fellow by the Royal Society of Chemistry - that's the organisation's highest accolade. To put that in perspective, of the seven people named Honorary Fellows, three were Nobel Prize winners. Dame Margaret chats to Jesse.

An opinion piece in the NZ Herald caught our eye this morning, in it Former Minister for Social Development Steve Maharey writes that the world is rupturing and New Zealand isn't responding fast enough, or in in the right ways. He joins Jesse to discuss.

Knitting has entered its cool era. Once dismissed as an old-fashioned pastime, creating hats and jumpers and even swimsuits from wool is now prime-time TV entertainment. Last year, ten amateur knitters competed on Game of Wool, a TV show hosted by Olympic diver Tom Daley, who is a passionate knitter himself. SPOILER ALERT!! The winner of Game of Wool is becoming a knitting superstar now too after creating everything from a seafood ramen bowl to a traditional German stocking cap. Jesse speaks to the winner.

It's time for Bookmarks - where we invite an interesting person onto Afternoons to share some of their favourite things to read, watch and listen to. Today Jesse is joined by actor, playwright, television presenter and journalist Elisabeth Easther Elisabeth has appeared in everything from Shortland Street to The Brokenwood Mysteries, Outrageous Fortune to Funny Girls. She's also written her debut novel 'Seed' - adapted from her award-winning play of the same name.

An economical cut of steak can be transformed into something very delicious after 4-24 hours in a crowd-pleasing marinade, before being cooked to smoky perfection on the barbecue. Kelly Gibney joins Jesse to share her recipe for barbecued rump steak with cucumber and avocado salad. Recipe is here

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.