Saturday Morning

7:09 Bravest of the brave

The NZ Bravery Awards have just been announced this morning. It's an impressive list of people who - often on the spur of the moment - have jumped in to resolve a dangerous situation unfolding before them.

It always makes you wonder - would you do the same?

Among those recognised is Detective Sergeant Heath Jones, stationed in Hawkes Bay, who, along with a colleague rescued a four-year-old, a baby and an elderly couple from a flood during Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.

Heath tells Susie Ferguson what happened as the waters began to rise. 

7:19 Syria one year on from Assad

This week Syrians took to the streets to mark the one-year anniversary of the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. 

The Al-Assad family controlled the country for 53 years, until a lightening offensive toppled him and forced him to flee the country.

Since then a transitional governing council has been in place with former rebel fighter Ahmed al-Sharra as president.

Brian Moller is Head of Mission at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Damascus and he joins Mihingarangi Forbes from the Syrian capital.

7:26 Water safety warnings

Experts are warning there could be further drownings at notorious black spots this summer. 

With the hot weather and holidays really kicking in this weekend, Water Safety New Zealand is urging people heading to cool off, to be extra careful.

This week two people died within just 90 minutes of each other and several more were injured at places known for being dangerous.

Water Safety New Zealand's CEO Glen Scanlon talks to Susie about their push to raise public awareness.

7:33 The potential cost of changes to the RMA

This week the government announced significant changes to the Resource Management Act.

It's promised property owners will have more freedom to do more with their own land.

The Minister in charge, Chris Bishop, also said it will almost halve the number of consents required. 

However Associate Professor of Law at the University of Waikato, Linda Te Aho, tells Susie the changes could come at a cost to Māori and the environment. 

7:45 The City of San Francisco vs UFPs

In the United States, San Francisco's City Attorney is suing 10 major food manufacturers over what's known as Ultra-processed Foods, or UFPs.

In the lawsuit, which is the first of its kind, City Attorney David Chiu is arguing that local governments have been shouldering the cost of treating diseases like diabetes and obesity which are caused by those foods.

David Chiu talks to Mihingarangi about what this could mean if they are successful.

7:55 Hitting the big time

Twelve-year-old golfer, Javier Rogers-Pou is a Kaikohe kid with his eye set on the prestigious Masters Tournament. 

He already has a handicap of eight but it's an expensive sport so his whanau spends every spare minute fundraising by selling Māori design inspired golf gloves. When they were noticed by comedian Joe Daymond and he shared the story, it went viral.

Then just yesterday, Javier was invited to the Chasing the Fox tournament which features famous New Zealanders and hole number three was dedicated to him. 

Mihingarangi speaks to Javier and his mum, Emily about their whirlwind success.

8:10 Carole Cadwalladr: The Broligarchy

Investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr's recent TED talk This is What A Digital Coup Looks Like is the most viewed of the year - with 1.7 million views and counting.

Carole blew open the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018 - where the analytics firm used data harvested from 87 million Facebook users without their consent to manipulate elections.

Carole coined the term broligarchy.  She talks to Susie about the power tech-bros wield.

8:45 New year, new you: Yoga in your 70s - and your 90s!

Christmas is almost upon us and when there are no more presents to open or festive foods to be eaten, our thoughts inevitably turn not just to New Year but to New Year's resolutions.

They can represent a fresh start or just another thing that you'll never follow through on.

If you are short on inspiration, look no further than Barbara Monahan and Maureen Maclean. They have both signed up for a 31-day New Year yoga challenge at their local studio in Hamilton.      

Barbara is 75 and usually goes to yoga twice a week while Maureen, who's a wee bit older - she'll be 98 next April, goes four times a week!

They speak to Mihingarangi about how to embrace aging and live a full and positive life.

9:05 Red carpet rolls out for Avatar 3

Wellington is playing host to the stars of Tinseltown, with the third Avatar movie Fire and Ash having its Australasian premiere at the Embassy Theatre tonight.

The red carpet is expected to be graced by the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet and Jemaine Clement, alongside director James Cameron.

RNZ's intrepid film critic Dan Slevin is in the thick of it.

9:10 Unravelling the mystery of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith

The southern hemisphere has had no shortage of aviation pioneers. In New Zealand we celebrate the exploits of Richard Pearse and Jean Batten while Australia has Sir Charles Kingsford Smith – the first person to pilot a flight between our two countries. 

This year marks the 90th anniversary of Kingsford Smith’s disappearance on a flight from England to Australia. While some wreckage later washed up near Burma, now known as Myanmar, what happened to Kingsford-Smith and his co-pilot has remained a mystery – until now. 

Award-winning Australian film maker Damien Lay spent over twenty years scouting for wreckage and presents his account of why and how their plane, The Lady Southern Cross went down, in his book Of Air and Men. 

He talks to Susie Ferguson about his mission to uncover the truth.  

9:35 Why giving makes children happier

We all love to receive gifts - especially at this time of the year - but there is joy to be had in giving too.

And the latest results from a study of over 200 children suggests that that joy can be experienced from a very young age.

Professor Annette Henderson, director of the Early Learning Lab at Auckland University joins Mihingarangi to explain what this can mean for children and their parents. 

9.50 Brain-computer interfaces

They're especially useful for communicating with people who've lost the ability to speak or move their body.

At the extreme, one brain-computer interface prototype can decipher imagined sentences, and comes with password protection to avoid revealing private thoughts. 

To understand more, Mihi is joined by University of Auckland Professor of Psychology Anthony Lambert.

10:05 The art of travelling light these holidays

At 50, Hamilton nurse, Katherine Leamy, packed her bag and headed off on a big international trip by herself and with nothing more than a backpack weighing 5 kgs.

Since then, she's become known as the 5kg traveller, an advocate for the freedom that comes with travelling light.

How does she do it? She shares her tips and tricks for mastering minimal packing with Susie.

10:30 My First Ikura

The founder of storytelling platform Nuku has published a book to normalise discussion around a young woman's first menstrual cycle. 

Journalist and writer Qiane Matata-Sipu is hoping Ikura will bring light to a subject that has traditionally been taboo. 

10:45 K-Road institution closes after 35 years

Locals claim K'Rd's Malaysian Restaurant, Sri Penang is the best Malaysian food spot in Auckland.

It has served the familar faces of central Auckland for three decades and everyday customers are greeted by the warm smile of owner Ange Siew.

But Ange and her chef husband Kun are calling it a day but not before Mihi Forbes managed to pop in for one last Roti Curry.

11:07 How to: Family Christmas dinner for under $50

Chef Del Holland is back to show us how to whip up something impressive, without breaking the bank this Christmas. 

Her Savvy Suppers Christmas Dinner Edition proves you can cook dinner and dessert for 6 people, for under $50. 

And for the vege lovers, Del shares a recipe for a show stopping Dauphinoise Pithivier.

Del has over 20 years' experience working in world-class kitchens and as a private chef. She now teaches others how to make easy, delicious, and affordable food through her social media channels, Dishes with Del.

11:25 Vasanti Unka: Representing NZ's diversity in children's books

Vasanti Unka is an award-winning writer, designer and illustrator, her newest children's book PukaPuka is a celebration of reading and the role library's play in our communities.

Vasanti was also awarded the Arts Foundation Mallinson Rendel Laureate Award for Illustration in 2021.

She speaks to Mihi Forbes about her journey into the world of children's books, South Asian voices becoming part of New Zealand's landscape, and the importance of libraries for the young.

11:40 Taonga pūoro with Rob Thorne

Rob Thorne (Ngāti Tumutumu, Tainui) is an internationally renowned Māori taonga pūoro musician, award-winning composer, and anthropologist, at the forefront of the revival of traditional Māori instruments. 

Blending tradition with innovation - Rob's performed all around the world and he's due back on stage early next year as part of the Auckland Folk Festival. 

There he'll be performing a solo showcase, as well as teaming up with Scandinavian trio Marine/Simonson/Wiskari, adding a Kiwi twist to their contemporary Nordic music. 

He brings some of his taonga pūoro into the studio to give us a taste.