Saturday Morning
Presented by Susie Ferguson and Mihingarangi Forbes, this podcast features in-depth interviews, current affairs, and news across a broad range of topics.
Episodes
Matariki Gardening with Hannah Zwartz
Our resident gardening expert is back, this time to talk about all things Matariki. Hannah Zwartz has over 30 years' experience gardening professionally, including looking after the herb and succulent areas at Wellington Botanic Garden and running community market gardens in the Hutt Valley. She speaks with Paddy Gower about making the most of this time of year and answers your listener quest
Majic Paora: Music for Matariki
Majic won Best Maori Female Solo Artist at the Waiata Maori Music Awards in 2015 and she's putting together a concert which is next weekend to mark Matariki. She's undertaken the task on behalf of her iwi - Ngaati Whatua Orakei - which is the host this year of the national hautapu ceremony which you'll have heard a bit from here on RNZ National yesterday.
Architecture from Cape to Bluff
From a home perched impossibly on the side of hills, to a flat pack build that needs only three people to put together - our landscape hosts some rather unique dwellings. Simon Devitt is an award-winning photographer, and Andrea Stevens is a writer with a background in architecture. Together they've teamed up, collating New Zealand's most interesting homes into a coffee table book called 'Cap
They're NUMBER ONE! Patea Maori Club
Poi E is right up there with iconic Kiwi songs. The chart-topping waiata is 42 years old and still going strong. The Patea Maori Club is still going strong too - they were performing just last night. Paddy is joined by Laura Maruera, who as chair person keeps the club in line. She joins Paddy from Patea, along with foundational members, twins Bib and Bub.
Katie Deare: The Winter 31 Club
Now, granted, it is a long weekend - and you have every right to put your feet up and relax - but if you're worried about becoming a winter couch potato, then this might be for you. The Winter 31 Club is a 31 day yoga challenge inspired by Matariki. Katie Deare is from the Sun Salute Yoga Centre in Hamilton to talk it over.
Mihi Forbes: Launching the latest NZ Wars doco
The Doc Edge Festival is on at the moment with screenings at all the main centres. There's even a Virtual Cinema launching at the end of the month - so no one is missing out. Always close to the action was our very own Mihi Forbes who Paddy speaks with live from the launch of the latest important chapter in the NZ Wars series: Stories of Waerenga-a-Hika
Cameron Bennett: Bringing our stories to the screen, NZ Wars
Veteran war correspondent Cameron Bennett joins Paddy to talk about the NZ Wars documentary: Stories of Waerenga-a-Hika. Cameron's directed the doco about the six day siege at Waerenga-a-Hika, a pa site close to Gisborne.
Takahe released onto Farewell Spit
Two things you'll find in Golden Bay are horopito and takahe, and they're two things that father daughter duo Peter and Lucy Butler have put together. Peter Butler transitioned from a failing organic kiwifruit orchard to successfully farming the native horopito plant. He's also behind Health Post - New Zealand's largest natural health and wellness store - which is 100% NZ family-owned - found
The mysterious networks of fungi right under our feet
A recent study has revealed that there are vast and mysterious underground networks of fungi right under our feet. These organisms are so small they can't be seen by the naked eye, yet they're foundational to the health of soil and the wellbeing of plants. Katie Field is a Professor in Plant-Soil Processes at the University of Sheffield. She joins Paddy.
Move that body!
Those of us who sit at a desk for most of the day know the importance of taking a break. New research has figured out exactly how often we should get up and move around. The study found taking a short walking break every 20 minutes reduces blood sugar and insulin. University of Otago PhD graduate and lecturer in physical activity and nutrition behaviour at AUT Dr Jen Gale is the lead author i
David Howman: Insight into the dark world of sports doping
One of the most senior figures in global anti-doping is a New Zealander. David Howman is Chairman of the International Athletics Integrity Unit which polices athletics. But before that, David spent 13 years at the World Anti Doping Agency as it's director general. Paddy speaks with him about developments this week which have seen the International Olympic Committee provisionally lift its susp
TALA: the Samoan cuisine making Michelin history
Auckland's TALA has received the first-ever Michelin Star awarded for Samoan food.
Kate de Goldi: Bookworm reviews
Kate de Goldi, our resident reader, is back with her latest picks.
Dogs of the World
Craig Turner-Bullock has spent almost a decade travelling the world, taking photos of dogs. He talks to Susie about capturing canines - and finding their best side!
Antarctica through a te ao Maori lens
Matariki became a public holiday in 2022 largely thanks to the mahi of Professor Rangi Matamua who last year decided he would do Matariki in Antarctica.
Carol Guzy: Snapping ICE
Four-time Pulitzer Prize winning photo-journalist, Carol Guzy, on documenting ICE.
Alien water and black holes with Dr Michelle Thaller
Black holes, glittery images and alien water on an interstellar comet - the infinite possibilities of space!
Kate Daly: Divorcing well
There's no doubt divorce can be messy, but according to divorce expert Kate Daly, it doesn't have to be!
Lenny McAllister: The US at 250
This July fourth in the USA marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As it reaches this milestone, we take a look at the current temperature of the United States and what the future holds for it.
World-leading Kiwi research wins top science prize
The PM's Science Prize has been awarded to an Auckland team who's work has prevented severe disability for thousands of babies around the world.
The Bug Man and the river
The mighty Ruamāhanga river is set to play the starring role in an upcoming documentary alongside naturalist Ruud Kleinpaste, also known as The Bug Man.
The new digital book club
Have you always wanted to join a book club but haven't quite found the time to make it happen? Well, the Libby Reads digital book club might be your answer.
Chris Chang: Can the All Whites make history?
TVNZ's FIFA World Cup host, Chris Chang speaks to Mihingarangi ahead of this afternoon's match between the All Whites and Belgium.
Daughter of Fidel Castro
The Cuban revolution is particularly personal for Alina Fernández. When Alina was 10 years old, she found out that her father was its leader - Fidel Castro.
The art of letting go
Many of us spend years building our lives around accumulation, believing that's how we'll find security and happiness. But what if we've got it backwards? Daisuke Yosumi swears by minimalism.
Can we outsmart AI?
How do we build resilience in the face of more technological and societal change? Acclaimed neuroscientist, Dr Hannah Critchlow shares her tips.
Afterlife Lab: How important is legacy?
How will you be remembered after you die? And does it really matter if you're not here to see it? It turns out that an awful lot of us do care.
Max Dickins: Modern masculinity
We often talk about how life has changed for women across the generations but what about men? What does it mean to be a man today?
Doc Edge Festival: Unlikely Kin
Just as Maori have fought for the restoration of their whenua and reo so too have they fought for recognition of matauranga Maori - traditional knowledge. Unlikely Kin tells the story of Ngati Wai elder Hori Parata and his son Te Kaurinui who lead the cultural harvesting of deceased tohora following a stranding. But it isn't just about treating a taonga with the respect it is due and acknowle
Maybe Baby
Emma Neale is the author of seven novels and seven poetry collections, the latest of which won the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry at the 2025 Ockham NZ Book Awards. Her newest novel, Maybe Baby, tells the story of a grieving widower determined to honour his and his late wife's desire to have a child. It's an exploration of the complexities of bringing life into the world and the tensio
Housing slumps and pumps
Over the last week we've seen house prices slumping in what could be the biggest property reset in decades, while petrol prices may also be set to come down. Liam Dann is the Business Editor at Large for the New Zealand Herald. He talks to Mihingarangi about the latest data trends.
Ant Williams: Raising a resilient child
Life is pressured - no doubt about it. And as a parent, your natural instinct is to protect your child from that pressure - but at what cost? Ant Williams is a sports psychologist and world champion freediver who believes that allowing children to take risks and experience failure is the key to resilience and success in adulthood. He speaks to Mihingarangi about the challenges of parenting to
Weight-loss drugs improve outlook for breast cancer
An important milestone has been reached in the research of GLP-1 drugs, which first transformed the treatment of diabetes. Then they upended the science - and culture - of weight loss. Now, new studies are fuelling optimism about the drugs' potential role in prevention and treatment - especially in breast, colon and lung cancer. Dr Elizabeth McDonald is a Professor of Radiology in the Univers
Life as a country doctor in Hokianga
A Pakeha doctor serving a largely Māori community, Clare Ward has developed a unique perspective on how te ao Māori and western healthcare can work together.
Everlee Wihongi freed from ICE detention
The 37-year-old was detained by ICE while attempting to return to the US on a Green Card - or Permanent Resident Card - after a three-week holiday in New Zealand in early April, because of a 2016 cannabis conviction. Everlee Wihongi's lawyer Marc Christopher confirmed she has been released and is expected to be reunited with her family in the next few hours. Everlee's mother Betty Wihongi spo
Zoulfa Katouh
Pharmacist by day and award-winning writer by night, Zoulfa Katouh loves to break stereotypes.
Marcus Frean: is auto correct ducking you around?
Is your phone correcting words like "were" to "we're" and "public" to "pubic"? More and more, predictive text seems to have a mind of its own.
New Zealander Everlee Wihongi freed from ICE detention
The 37-year-old was detained by ICE while attempting to return to the US on a Green Card - or Permanent Resident Card - after a three-week holiday in New Zealand in early April, because of a 2016 cannabis conviction. Everlee Wihongi's lawyer Marc Christopher confirmed she has been released and is expected to be reunited with her family in the next few hours. Everlee's sister in law Courtney W
The Wild: Pauline Robert
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Auckland War Memorial Museum will showcase a hundred astounding images of our changing world.
Will peace break out and fuel flow freely now?
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire. With a deal freshly inked, electronically at least, by both presidents of Iran and the US, what happens now?
Lawn mower racing: A cut above at Fieldays
It's the fourth and final day of Fieldays and a momentous occasion for all lawn mower racing fans.
Super Rugby
The 2026 Super Rugby Aupiki kicks off today and so are the Pacific Semis. Sky Sports' Taylah Johnson joins us live from Eden Park.
Coastal living during a climate crisis
A new study has revealed that Wellington's 1-in-100-year coastal floods have become roughly a twice-per-year occurrence.
Nelson-based explorer discovering skyscraper-tall caves
You could say that Peter MacNab is to caving what Neil Armstrong is to the moon.
Music and the Mystical Experience
Therapy using psychedelic substances and music to heal and improve mental well-being is a controversial practice. Music and the Mystical Experience, screening at this year's Doc Edge festival, follows New Zealand musician and sound engineer, Michael Sutherland as he creates six hours of soundscapes specifically designed to enhance the healing experience. Michael and director, Isabel Corfiatis
Chris White: The Dire Straits Experience
Formed in 1977, Dire Straits was one of the big bands of the 80s and early 90s with global hits like Money for Nothing and Walk of Life.
Pitch perfect: Growing World Cup grass
We have kick-off! But amongst the hype ... the favourites ... the All Whites ... the ball ... and the heat ... who gives a second thought to the grass?
The NaNaz: Life's a riot!
If you're a fan of the BBC series Riot Women then you'll love The NaNaz because they are the real thing.
Bill Kristol: Trumped on 4th of July
President Trump has been accused of politicising commemorations for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Vasa Fia Collins speaks out on the coroner's findings
Fa'anana Efeso Collins was a Matai, Green MP and Community Leader. This week the findings of a coronial inquiry into his sudden death were released.
