Nine To Noon for Friday 8 February 2019

 

 

09:05 Extreme volatility of Tasman district fire

The massive fire in the Tasman district is volatile and growing with wind change potentially threatening homes.
Light winds are forecast today but conditions are tinder-dry and the risk remains extremely high. Rural Regional Managers for Fire and Emergency, John Sutton and Richard McNamara speak of the dangerous situation and the strategy to bring the blaze under control. Also Barbara Stuart from the Tasman Rural Support Trust on the plight of farmers in the region.

09:20 'Slow Lit' : bedtime stories for grown ups

Phoebe Smith has been called the  'JK Rowling of slow literature', or bedtime stories for grown-ups.
She is an award winning travel writer, broadcaster and keen outdoorswoman and adventurer. But she also writes stories for the sleep app Calm, voiced by the likes of Stephen Fry and Joanna Lumley, which are designed to help listeners drift off to sleep. Her most popular story on Calm is called Blue Gold,  which meanders through the lavender fields of Provence in France. The 25 minute story has been listened to 15 million times. Her latest story is set in New Zealand - called Stargazing on Stewart Island.

09:30 Make way for the Bubble man!

Master bubbleologist Eran 'The Highland Joker' is a world record-breaking bubble artist who is  touring the North Island with his 'Bubble Show', popping into 18 centres between January 30th and March 3rd. Eran holds a Guinness World Record for putting the greatest number of people inside giant soap bubbles in 30 seconds! Some other of his bubble antics include putting the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern inside a giant bubble!

09:45 Donald Trump & Kim Jong Un's imminent meeting

Ed White reports from Asia and looks ahead to the meeting in Vietnam later this month between the US President and North Korea's Supreme Leader. Also India is gearing up for national elections and the populist prime minister Narendra Modi now has a serious fight on his hands with the rise of opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. 
 

10:05 Grant Ryan: Engineer, entrepreneur & ecologist

Grant Ryan describes himself as a hopelessly addicted inventor. He has founded and sold a number of software companies, he's designed and brought to market the world's first superlight folding electric bike, and is behind Pure Pods - an ecotourism company errecting luxury glass cabins in remote scenic New Zealand. His big focus now is The Cacophony Project which he believes will help New Zealand become predator free much more quickly than current goals. He will be speaking at the Boma NZ Agrisummit in Christchurch in April.

10:35 Unity Books review -The Wall by John Lanchester

Tilly Lloyd from Unity books reviews The Wall by John Lanchester, which is published by Faber.

"Kavanagh is conscripted to patrol the Wall. If he's lucky, if nothing goes wrong, he only has two years of this, 729 more nights. John Lanchester's thrilling, hypnotic new novel is about why the young are right to hate the old."

10:45 The Reading

Mona Minim & the Smell of the Sun by Janet Frame read by Dick Weir.  Final episode. 

11:05 Julian Dyne, New Order & Saada Bonair

One of music reviewer Grant Smithies'​ favourite local LPs of last year was Teal, the fourth album from Auckland-based visual artist/ DJ/ multi- instrumentalist Julian Dyne. We hear two key tracks from that record today, alongside tasty morsels from New Order and 80's German art-pop project Saada Bonaire. 

11:30 Black Caps & White Ferns victories

Sports commentator Brendan Telfer looks at Black Caps and White Ferns T20 wins over India.

11:45 Naming a cockroach after your ex

The week that was with comedians Te Radar and Melanie Bracewell with a novel Valentine's Day idea. The El Paso Zoo in Texas is running a promotion, where for a donation, you can name a cockroach after your ex and it will be fed to the meerkats.

 

Music played in this show

Artist:   Eurythmics
Song:  Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Time: 09:30
 

Artist:  Madeleine Peyroux
Song:  On My Own
Time: 11:43