Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

Amid all the nostalgia and reunion tours of late, Kevin Milne has been battling to keep his music taste fresh.   Instead of rushing to buy a ticket for Guns N’ Roses or Split Enz, he picked up a ticket to Kiwi band The Beths and went along last night.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"It’s been three years since I was last in Tauranga and it’s so uplifting to see cranes in the sky, the glossy sheen of brand-new buildings, and the civic centre’s sure-footed makeover taking shape. Fresh and inviting public spaces are continuing to unfurl across the Te Papa peninsula and waterfront. After paying my regards to the delightful Hairy Maclary and friends sculptures adorning the fabulously enticing children’s playground on Tauranga’s waterfront in a story book setting, I checked out The Strand Reserve and waterfront boardwalk. It has immeasurably enhanced the city centre’s sense of connection with Tauranga Harbour. There’s a great new sense of art-filled vitality sprouting in the city centre. A starring specimen in Red Square is the stunning public sculpture called Rauhea." Read Mike's full article. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamilton is welcoming thousands of music fans for Homegrown festival today.  The festival has returned to the city it started in after almost two decades on Wellington's waterfront.  More than 25 thousand people are expected at Claudelands Oval, including Chris Schulz.  He joined Jack Tame from the festival to chat about this year’s offering.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Better Life by Lionel Shriver   Gloria Bonaventura, a divorced mother of three living with her 26-year-old son Nico in a sprawling house in Brooklyn, decides to participate in a new city programme - Big Apple, Big Heart - that would pay her to take in a migrant as a boarder. Gloria is thrilled when sweet, kind, helpful Martine arrives. But Nico is sceptical. A classic live-at-home, unemployed Gen Zer with no interest in adulthood, Nico resents the indignity of moving from his self-contained basement flat and back into his childhood bedroom.  As the months go by, Martine endears herself to both Nico's sisters, while finding her way into Gloria's heart. But as Martine's disturbingly dodgy compatriots begin to show up, Nico grows only more hostile to both his mother's altruism and the 'migrant crisis' in general - though turns out to be anything but a reliable narrator himself.     Rasputin by Antony Beevor   When Russia’s Dowager Empress was pregnant with the future Tsar, she dre

Even though everybody has to sleep, it's rare that people consider how sustainability can play a role in their bedroom.  Kate Hall joined Jack Tame for a chat about a few ways you can make your sleeping environment a bit more sustainable – from the mattress to the bedding to the furniture itself.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cicadas are slowly on the wane towards the end of March. It’s been a pretty Noisy March so far, typical of the regular system whereby Cicadas have a three, five, or seven year life cycle.  Black field crickets (Teleogryllus commodus) are still making a heck of a noise in the late afternoon/evening, especially in the North Island and top of the South. They’ll be enjoying that dodgy boy-girl party for at least another month or more! Black field crickets make their characteristic noise by rubbing their wings together (great mating calls).  You won’t see them often, as they hide in cracks in the soil during the day, but when the sun goes down the crickets will come to the surface to eat grasses – they can do a lot of damage to pasture and lawns, leaving bare soil around their home cracks.  Control is quite hard. In the old days, farmers used wheat, soaked in Maldison, strewn over the paddock in early summer (January is the month before crickets become adults and hence, reproduce). For a lawn it mi

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 14 March 2026, Kiwi rock legend Jordan Luck joins Jack to discuss The Exponents reuniting for a special performance at Synthony.   Jack champions an alternative transport option as fuel prices rise.  Louis Theroux's latest Manosphere documentary is spotlighted in Screentime.  Nici Wickes joins Jack live from the Wānaka A&P show.  And Kevin Milne battles to keep his music fresh.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saving versus spending can be a difficult balance, especially when you don’t have good habits or a plan in place.  And while many struggle to save enough in the first place, are there people who take it too far in the opposite direction and save too much?  Lisa Dudson joined Jack Tame to discuss saving money and how to decide the split that works best for you.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google Maps is getting a new look   Google Maps is getting it's biggest update in over a decade with the launch of “Immersive Navigation”. The new view places you in a 3D space with a view of the road features, buildings and terrain around you – almost making it look like a video game. It has smart zooms and transparent buildings to give you a better look at what’s coming up on your drive, including potentially tricky merges and turns, and better highlighting of things like traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. It starts in the US, and will roll out to iOS and Android devices, and CarPlay and Android Auto.     A surprise reversal from Meta – Instagram chats will no longer be encrypted   From May 8th, chats will no longer be encrypted. You'll have until then to download them, or I assume they'll be deleted by Meta. Meta’s decision to dismantle the encryption feature comes against the backdrop of increasing concerns surrounding child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. By eliminating end

Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere  Louis Theroux immerses himself in the world of extreme online influencers and content creators who are redefining modern masculinity. He examines the appeal of these ideas and attitudes, and how these figures are influencing young men's values (Netflix).      DTF St. Louis   A love triangle between three adults experiencing middle-age malaise that leads to one of them ending up dead (Neon).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomatoes are abundant and cheap and so it’s time to make the annual batch of tomato chilli jam. It is sooooo good!    Makes 2-3 jars      Ingredients  1kg tomatoes, roughly chopped   5 red chillies, deseeded and chopped or ¼ tsp chilli flakes   2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed   2 cups white sugar   ½ cup apple cider vinegar   2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar   Squeeze of lemon juice   ½ teaspoon salt      Method  Bring all of the ingredients to the boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.   Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or until the mixture thickens and becomes syrupy.   Test a cooled teaspoonful for heat and ‘setting’, though this jam will veer more towards runny than sticky. Add more chilli at this stage if you want it hotter and cook it for another 10 minutes or so.   Spoon into warmed, sterilised jars, then seal. This will keep for at least 6 months.      Nici’s note:  

War Machine  During the final stage of US Army Ranger selection, an elite team's training exercise turns into a fight for survival against an unimaginable threat.     Reminders of Him   After a perfect outing with her boyfriend, Kenna makes an unbearable mistake that sends her to prison for seven years. Hoping to rebuild her life after her release, she tries to reunite with her daughter, but her custodial grandparents refuse to let Kenna see her. She soon finds unexpected compassion from a local bar owner as their secret romance gives Kenna hope for a second chance.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Living in New Zealand is like sitting on the back seat of a bus.  You feel cool. The view’s great. But when the world goes over a speedbump, we tend to get kicked up in the air just a little bit more than everyone else.  The Government says we have more than 50 days’ fuel either in the country or in ships that are already enroute. That’s reassuring. But as petrol prices have steadily climbed this week, I’m sure I’ve not been the only one wondering what agency I have in this situation. I don’t know about you, but it would be really nice for our household finances to be a little less dependent on the whims and fancies of Donald Trump.  Now I totally get that everyone’s different and every household has different pressures and needs – I’m not gonna lecture you! But can I gently suggest that this crisis might be the perfect excuse to diversify your household transportation.  One of the many reasons I hear for people not wanting to cycle is that they have kids. But in case you’ve not been payin

Barbara Dreaver is no stranger to a challenge.  She’s spent the past three decades shedding light on issues across the Pacific – getting locked up in Fiji, threatened in Papua New Guinea, faced natural disasters, and covered military coups and criminal activity.  An international correspondent and veteran of New Zealand journalism, Dreaver’s faced death threats for her tenacious pursuit of the truth.   Though she normally shines the light on others’ stories, Dreaver’s now decided to tell her own in a new memoir ‘Be Brave’.  She told Jack Tame that focusing on her own story has been really uncomfortable, but kind of cool at the same.  “I’m giving people a look behind the scenes at a time when, you know, media is not really trusted,” Dreaver explained.  “But I really want people to know just the sort of work and the effort and stuff that goes on behind the scenes – also a little bit of personal stuff as well.”  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i

Did you know that sunrise and dawn aren’t the same thing? Kevin Milne didn’t!  He made this discovery rather late in life, on a recent family holiday on the East Coast.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harry Styles has released his highly anticipated fourth album.  ‘Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally’ follows on from his 2022 album ‘Harry’s House,’ which won Album of the Year at the 65th Grammy Awards in 2023.   It’s a notable departure from his previous works, with heavy use of synthesisers and electronic elements – inspired, Styles says, by the music and performances of LCD Soundsystem.  Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame to share his thoughts on the album.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Witch Trail by Harriet Tyce   Two teenage girls. One murdered classmate. And a modern-day witch trial that will divide the nation.  When 18-year-old Christian Shaw is found dead in an Edinburgh park, the city reels - and the shock only deepens when police charge her best friends, Eliza Lawson and Isobel Smyth, with her murder.  As social media explodes and headlines scream for justice, rumours of bullying spiral into something whispers of rituals, obsession, and a teenage pact gone wrong.  Matthew Phillips, a respected heart surgeon, is reluctantly called for jury duty on the case. But as the trial unfolds - and the girls reveal a chilling defence no one saw coming - he begins to question the motives, the evidence, even his own judgement.  Who's telling the truth? Who can be trusted? And what really happened to Christian Shaw?  Let the Witch Trial begin . . .     The Hard Line by Mark Greaney   For a man who works in the shadows, a fam

"The Bay of Plenty. Is there a more aptly named province in New Zealand? From the Kiwifruit Capital of the World to New Zealand’s Avocado Capital, the region’s sheer abundance of world-class fresh produce is quite exceptional. All the more reason to celebrate its plentiful produce, the enterprising growers and the stellar culinary verve coursing through the region. Introducing Flavours of Plenty, the region’s headline foodie festival which roars back into life over eighteen delicious days, kicking off on April 16th. This year’s bash marks its fifth outing, and the festival has fast cemented its credentials as one of New Zealand’s very best festivals on the culinary calendar. Strung right across Coastal Bay of Plenty, from Waihi Beach to Whakatāne, there’s a stack of lip-smacking events to sink your teeth into. On a recent visit to the region, I enjoyed a taster of the festival, which included some superb encounters with some of the region’s growers." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.c

What is a SuperAger and how do you become one?  A SuperAger is someone over 80 with an excellent memory, particularly for everyday events and personal history.  What we know about them:   They produce twice as many young brain cells as people in their 30s and 40s New brain cells are more adaptable or plastic and can help rewire and repair the brain when needed   Genetics do play a part, but so do lifestyle factors like a good diet, lowering your stress, and having good sleep patterns     There are also some psychological tools you can adopt that help develop SuperAging:   Developing an optimistic view of the world and people around you – if we break this down, optimistic people have the following pattern:   When something bad happens, they are less likely to blame themselves and see the problem as temporary   When something good happens, they are more likely to take credit for it, feel that it’s partly in their control, and that good things are likely to continu

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 7 March 2026, the Pacific's most experienced correspondent Barbara Dreaver joins Jack to discuss the challenges she's faced in three decades on the job, and her brand-new memoir ‘Be Brave’.  Jack shares his three main observations from the conflict in Iran.  Dr Bryan Betty shares why sitting too long may harm your health and Alice Taylor shares her top tips on cooking fish.  Plus, Ruud Kleinpaste reveals all on kingfishers and what they eat.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.