You can listen to the latest After Afternoons podcast here

1:10 First song: Frontm3n

Three great voices from three top bands, three guitars, a five stop accoustic tour of New Zealand. Peter Howarth from The Hollies, Mick Wilson of 10CC fame and The Sweet's Pete Lincoln have come together as Frontm3n. They're set to wow audiences in Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Wellington and they're in for First Song.

FRONTM3N

FRONTM3N AUCKLAND Photo: skip.co.nz

1:17 Tree council supports changes at Ōwairaka

Protestors are stopping contractors from entering the slopes of Ōwairaka/Mt Albert to remove established trees and vegetation. The Tree Council is supporting the Tūpuna Maunga Authority which is behind the plans to restore native ecosystems in place of the exotic species. Tree Council spokesman, Sean Freeman explains why they are in favour of the change.

30 people have gathered to block the entrance to Mt Albert in an effort to save trees.

Photo: NZ Herald / Jason Oxenham

 

1:27 Are sheep harming our waterways?

Are sheep harming our waterways? That's the question Dr Rene Corner-Thomas from Massey University is trying to answer. She attached GPS tracking devices to 40 ewes at a research farm near Palmerston North to try and see what damage, if any, sheep cause to waterways. 

Dr Rene Corner-Thomas and PhD student Aloyce Bunyaga xing one of the cameras used in the trial.

Dr Rene Corner-Thomas and PhD student Aloyce Bunyaga xing one of the cameras used in the trial. Photo: Supplied / Massey University

 

Logo of Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Photo: Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

1:34 Ngā Taonga Sound Archives: Archival penguins!

The big win this week in the “Bird of the Year” competition by hoiho, the yellow-eyed penguin,  prompted Sarah Johnston from Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision to take a listen in the sound archives, and today we will hear recordings about our black and white feathered friends.

1:50 Arts Review: Mark Amery

Arts commentator and journalist Mark Amery looks at some of the big events on around the country at the moment and talks about what we've got to get excited about in 2020!

Verb Wellington2020 New Zealand Festival; The Auckland Festival; The NZ Opera 2020 programme and Harry Josephine Giles' Drone, which is at Auckland's Basement Theatre until Saturday night. 

Harry Giles Drone Scottish Youth Theatre

Harry Giles Drone Scottish Youth Theatre Photo: © Rich Dyson

2.10 Podcast Critic: Katy Atkin

Katy reviews White Silence and A Perfect Storm: The True Story of The Chamberlains.

2:20 Bookmarks: Laura Clarke

Becoming the British High Commissioner to New Zealand was the plan for Laura Clarke. Her husband is a Kiwi and when the time was right, she told everyone who mattered she wanted the role. 

She took on the job - along with the title of Governor of Pitcairn Islands - in 2018, moving into the official residence Homewood in Karori. 

She's in our Wellington Studio now to tell us about where she came from, explaining Brexit to New Zealanders, and of course, her favourite books, movies, and music. 

UK High Commissioner in New Zealand Laura Clarke.

UK High Commissioner in New Zealand Laura Clarke. Photo: Supplied

3:10 Mark Vette's top tips for training puppies

The saying goes, give me the boy until 7 years, and I'll give you the man. Renowned animal behaviorist Mark Vette says give me the pup at 4 months and I'll give you the dog. Behavioral issues are the number one cause of death for dogs under the age of three, so getting the training right when they're puppies is critical. Mark Vette shares his insights about looking past puppy love and how becoming a good owner can help prevent aggressive dog attacks. His new book is called Puppy Zen.
 

3:35 Stories from Our Changing World. Making Wellington a predator-free city

By the end of this year Predator-Free Wellington hopes that the eastern suburbs on the Miramar Peninsula will be free from rat and stoats. Alison Ballance heads out to the eastern suburbs to meet the people making it happen.
 

3:45 The Pre-Panel Story of the Day and One Quick Question

4:05 The Panel with Michelle Boag and David Cormack