Sunday Morning for Sunday 18 April 2021

7:10 Prince Philip funeral: how it all happened

The ceremonial funeral for His Royal Highness Prince Philip is taking place overnight at St George's Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor Castle. Coronavirus restrictions in England mean only 30 people are allowed to attend, and they need to be socially distanced and masked. One of the special touches for the procession is a specially customised Land Rover, which the duke himself helped design to carry his coffin the short distance between the castle and chapel. As we wake up on this side of the globe, former head of public relations at Buckingham Palace Simon Walker fills us in on the proceedings.

7:18 Just half of Kiwis in favour of trans-Tasman travel bubble 

The latest survey from Research New Zealand shows that only half of us are in favour of the trans-Tasman bubble, with fears of Australians bringing Covid-19 into the country -- and setting off further lockdowns -- being the main reason cited by those not in favour. The main reason given by those in favour is to reunite with family and friends. Research NZ Managing Partner Emanuel Kalafatelis joins the show with the results. 

7.32 The House

Petitions forcing witnesses to child abuse to speak, reforming adoption law for same sex couples, and better protections for religious freedoms have been discussed at Parliament - The House looks at the process for petitioners presenting their case to select committees.

7:45 Extreme chilli eating: 'People like watching others suffer' 

Heat eight of the New Zealand Chilli Eating Champs takes place at Armageddon in Wellington this afternoon, with the ultimate 'pepper head' set to take home $1000. Organiser and hot sauce maker Clint Meyer admits he's a relative lightweight when it comes to heat, but he knows as much as anyone about what makes chilli lovers tick. 

8:12 Calling Home: Kane Harnett-Mutu in Copenhagen 

Taihape native Kane Harnett-Mutu (Ngāti Kahu) had been living in Copenhagen for more than a decade when, after being asked to explain and perform haka on myriad occasions, he decided to start taking haka to Denmark and beyond. Covid-19 has put paid to that work for the meantime, but he plans to get back to spreading haka's positive gospel again when normalcy resumes. He's Calling Home this morning. 

8:35 Vespa rally runs length of NZ for mental health

A team of scooter riders are currently travelling from Cape Reinga to Bluff in an effort to raise $200,000 for the Mental Health Foundation. Riding mainly Vespa scooters, which are by no means designed for long journeys, the Motorally is anticipated to take 10 days and will probably come with its fair share of breakdowns and sore bums. We chat live with Perry Sansom as the team stop for breakfast in Sanson to see how it's all going.

8:41 The Weekend Panel with Penny Ashton and Mike Williams 

On the Weekend Panel this morning are Penny Ashton and Mike Williams, both in studio in Auckland. Among other issues, they'll be looking at the arrival of the Australians, the vaccine rollout, whether it's time to re-think the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the new train service between Auckland and Hamilton. 

9:06 Mediawatch

This week Mediawatch at how rumours of a move against the National Party leader pre-occupied political reporters this week. Also: how Samoa's historic election last weekend went under the radar in the news - and what the future holds for a publication that's in almost every household in the country: the Yellow Pages.  

9:40 'The Crate Escape' stowaway looking for lost accomplices 

Over 55 years ago, Welshman Brian Robson mailed himself to London from Australia in a crate, with the help of a couple of friends he would eventually lose touch with. Now, he wants to find those friends, who aided him when he was 19 and without money to return home to the UK, and several film companies are chasing him for the exclusive story of the old pals re-uniting. Brian joins the show from his home in Cardiff, Wales. 

10:04 Life through the seasons on a high country Kiwi station 

A High Country Life is a memoir of life through the different seasons on Otematata Station, a high country sheep and beef station in North Otago. Told through the eyes of Philippa Cameron (@whats_for_smoko) in her role as station cook, this book also features Pip's most trusted recipes, tested on many approving musterers. Pip joins the show to discuss the new book and life on the station. 

10:37 Drug use among older adults a 'hidden epidemic'

As the world grows older, drug use among people over 65 has also grown. According to the International Narcotics Control Board, which recently issued its annual report, drug use among older adults is a 'hidden epidemic' and there is an increase in the misuse of pain relievers, sedatives and tranquilisers. Dr Andy Towers from the School of Health Sciences at Massey University, says there is a lack of data around drug use among people over 65, as it is widely assumed they don't touch drugs, which simply isn't the case. He joins the show to discuss.

10:55 Does drinking coffee help burn body fat?

We all know that coffee is a stimulant, but can it help you burn body fat? Scientists from the Department of Physiology of the University of Granada in Spain examined the effect of caffeine on the oxidation of fat in morning and afternoon exercise sessions, and found a strong cup of coffee increased fat burn. However, it may have little impact on weight loss, says Katherine Black, senior lecturer with Otago University's Department of Human Nutrition. She joins the show to discuss.

11:05 Northwest Passage adventure: 'Just tell me I'm not going to die'

When ocean racing skipper Ross Field retired from pro sailing, he was already looking for his next, unusual adventure. In a dusty boatyard in France, he bought a 20-year-old aluminium yacht. Yachting journalist Rebecca Hayter followed his refit in detail. Then she signed on as crew for Field's attempt on the treacherous Northwest Passage - providing Field could confirm that she wouldn't die at sea. Her new book, Wild Seas to Greenland, details their sailing adventure. 

11:35 Thor's world-first adventure remains on hold in Hong Kong

Danish native Torbjørn 'Thor' Pedersen is on a mission to visit every nation in the world in a single journey, without taking a single flight. When we caught up with him in September last year, he had been stuck in Hong Kong for 35 weeks, because of Covid-19. Six months later, he remains in Hong Kong, but there has been a big development in his Once Upon A Saga adventure. 

11:40 New show helping to change the Kiwi male ballet narrative

The Royal New Zealand Ballet are about to open a free show for kids and families - at Te Papa in the school holidays - The Ugly Duckling. It plays April 19 and 20. What makes this performance interesting is that it's an all-male cast, which is in keeping with the RNZB's desire to change the narrative for boys and young men who want to dance. Ballet master Nick Schultz is with us to explain.