Afternoons for Thursday 15 April 2010
1:10 Best Song Ever Written
Bicycle Race by Queen chosen by Nick Woods.
You may recall a couple of weeks ago, we talked with Winton dad, Denis Woods, who was about to take off on a school holiday expedition with his son.
Denis and Nick Woods have given "family time" a whole new meaning by kayaking and biking the length of the South Island.
The 12 day journey (just over 1000 kilometres) finished yesterday.
1:15 Your Place
Today we visit another little known nook or cranny of Aotearoa. The locals refer to this piece of subtropical paradise as "one of our best kept secrets", as people do, and it's probably true in this case. Because when most of us journey up country to our northern most city, Whangarei, our travels are more likely to take us further north to the Bay of Islands or to the highly rated, and very beautiful, Tutukaka coast some 20 kilometres to the east.
For today's show though, we are heading 35 kilometers south of Whangarei, not back along state highway one, but down the eastern side of the port to the harbour heads and a tiny settlement of fewer than 200 people. This narrow peninsular contains some of our most awe inspiring scenery. From the majestic rise of Mount Manaia, at 420 metres, kaitiaki of the harbour entrance - to the vast streches and golden sands of the almost deserted Ocean Beach.
There are a cluster of small communities gathered here in an area known as the Whangarei Heads, but we are focusing primarily on the area immediately around the township of Taurikura.
2:10 Feature stories
Anna Hansen's recipe for success is pretty simple.. a dash of Kiwi spirit, a pinch of determination and several heaping cups of pure hard work. Judges of the 2010 New Zealander of the Year in Britain think so too. Anna Hansen just won this prestigious award. She's the owner of The Modern Pantry restaurant in London
2:30 NZ Reading
Today we present part four of Sorry, I'm a Stranger Here Myself written and told by Peter Bland, an evocation of his life in England in the 1930s and 1940s and in New Zealand through the 1950s and 1960s.
2:55 He Rourou
Ana Tapiata talks to the Minister of Maori Affairs Pita Sharples about the Whanau Ora Taskforce report
2:50 Feature Album
Left My Heart in San Francisco - Tony Bennett (1962)
They say it's like going to Lords and finding Don Bradman still at the crease. American singer, Tony Bennett next week releases a new Ultimate American Songbook album, at the age of 83.
Bennett has released over 70 albums during his career, with almost all being for Columbia Records. The biggest selling of these in the US have been I Left My Heart in San Francisco, MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett, and Duets: An American Classic, all of which went platinum for shipping one million copies.
3:12 Arts Report
The Mangere Arts Centre - a Manukau City development designed to house all the community's artistic activities under one roof and a new public art series in Wellington that connects artists with empty inner-city real estate.
3:33 Christchurch story
Cheerleading is alive and well, and it's also a growing sport in New Zealand. Sonia Yee finds out what it takes to cheer a team.
3:47 Environment story
In our environment story we meet a Chatham Island bird that doesn't always make a wise choice about where to put its nest.
Giving the Chatham island oystercatcher a helping hand … at about a quarter to four.
4:06 The Panel
Chris Trotter and Linda Clarke.