Summer Weekends for Sunday 11 January 2026

9:08 Cryptic Clues with Wendy Wethey  

To warm up your brain for 2026, cryptic crossword writer Wendy Wethey joins Summer Weekends with a series of clues.  

Tune in after the news at 9am and 10am, be the first to text in the right answer to 2101, and win a copy of Wendy's own New and Infused with Zeal: 52 Cryptic Crosswords. 

Saturday's solutions:

• Assessment could cause harm to Charles, perhaps - MARKING (Charade clue)
• Energetically cleans gown to wear to the theatre - SCRUBS (Double definition clue) 

9:10 What happens to the human body at high heats

With a heatwave bringing temperatures in New Zealand up to 37 degrees (and up to 45 degrees in Australia), Emile Donovan chats to physiologist Grant Lynch – based at the University of Sydney's Heat and Health Research Incubator. He joins Summer Weekends to share some science-backed hacks for keeping yourself cool in a heatwave, and at what point the human body starts cooking from the inside out. 

 

9:20 Cider's forgotten, ancient history

Dr Trevor Fitzjohn is the owner of Teepee Cider, a boutique, traditional method cider orchard and producer in the Wairarapa. A retired history-lover with a personal library of over 1,000 rare books, his apple varieties and techniques harken back to the golden age of cidermaking in England in the 17th and 18th centuries. 

He joins Bonnie Harrison to share the ancient origins of apples, why cider should be considered wine, and what makes a good drop. 

 

9:50 Hot day, cold treat

As it heats up around the country, we’ll head to Hastings, where temperatures are expected to reach a whopping 38-degrees celsius!  Emile and Bonnie will be checking in with Vaughan Currie from Rush Munro’s, New Zealand’s oldest ice creamery, to find out how they’re keeping Kiwis cool.  

 

10:08 Cryptic Clues with Wendy Wethey  

To warm up your brain for 2026, cryptic crossword writer Wendy Wethey joins Summer Weekends with a series of clues.  

Tune in after the news at 9am and 10am, be the first to text in the right answer to 2101, and win a copy of Wendy's own New and Infused with Zeal: 52 Cryptic Crosswords. 

 

10:15 Tennis wrap-up with Dave Worsley

RNZ's man on the ground at the ASB Classic joins Emile to recap a thrilling week in Auckland.

 

10:20 Firsts, Favourites and Funerals: Jude Dobson

Legendary broadcaster Jude Dobson joins Summer Weekends to play significant songs from her long and varied career: from Sale of the Century, to her top-charting book with Pippa Latour, The Last Secret Agent, and what she says will be her last screen project. 

 

11:10 Kees Meeuws: Rugby and reinvention

Kees Meeuws played 42 tests for the All Blacks between 1998 and 2004  - and once held the record for the most tries scored by a prop in test rugby. He’s an art enthusiast, a proud resident of Ōtepoti, a dad of six, koro, and real estate agent. Kees is with Emile to talk about life after rugby and what 2026 has in store. 

 

11:25 Feng shui: Why your bed shouldn't face your door

How do you make a dark space feel light? How can you arrange your bedroom to make it feel more cosy? Architect, TikTok star and feng shui practitioner Cliff Tan (Dear Modern) joins Bonnie Harrison to give some tips on freshening up your home in the new year. 

 

11:45 The octogenarian YouTuber flying high with kite videos

Eighty-five year-old Jim Nicholls is one of New Zealand's hottest influencers. 

He's a big name in the world of kites and he's got thousands of fans from around the world tuning into his YouTube channel. 

He's a fountain of knowledge: his videos are all about how to fly kites, how to have fun with kites, where to buy kites and what elevates one model over another.

Jim joins Emile from Christchurch to share the joy.