Afternoons for Wednesday 23 December 2020

 

12:35 Profiling the new Olympic sports: Skateboarding

In the latest in our series on the four sports debuting at next year's Tokyo Olympics we talk about skateboarding. Chris Curran, the president of Skateboarding New Zealand explains how the competition will work both in Tokyo and Paris in 2024.

12:45 Tawa College student accepted into Harvard University

Tawa college student, Jess Jenkins, has had an amazing year, both academically and with extra curricular activities, including winning the Race Unity Speech awards.

Now she can add being accepted for studying at Ivy league university in the US to her list of accomplishments. She talks to Emile about the next hurdle for taking her place there, money .

1:15 High school graduates building state houses

A group of high school students in West Auckland have finished school with building qualifications, and have helped to build six state homes.

The Massey High School students took part in the first full year of a partnership programme with housing development agency Kāinga Ora.

Massey High School Principal Glen Denham tells us about the project.

 

1:27 Mayor who used to tow crashed cars warns drivers to be more careful

The Mayor of Matamata-Piako Ash Tanner has witnessed first hand the damage of road crashes, and he's urging people to take care on the roads this summer.

Ash spent a decade as a tow-truck driver, and he was often one of the first people at the scene of major crashes.

 

1:35 Looking after your gut health over Christmas and New Year

Many of us will be celebrating Christmas and the New Year with hearty meals and celebratory drinks in the coming days.

As you consider what to pile up on your plate, or pour into your glass, a gut health expert suggests you spare a thought for your microbiome.

Claus Christophersen is a senior lecturer in nutrition at Edith Cowan University in Perth and tells us what we can do to keep our gut bacteria in balance over the holidays.

 

1:55 Afternoons Quiz Robert Kelly

RNZ producer and onetime bookseller Robert Kelly presents his weekly quiz.

2.12 Katy Atkin's summer podcast picks

Katy Atkin shares her top 5 summer listening podcasts:

It's A Wonderful lie
About a Girl
Bill Gates and Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions
Stuff the British Stole - ABC
Heavyweight  - Season 5

 

2:25 Bookmarks with Freya Daly Sadgrove

Our final guest on Bookmarks for 2020 is Wellington writer and performer, Freya Daly Sadgrove - who published her first book of poems at the beginning of the year.

She's in our Wellington studio to talk about her career as well as share her favourite books, films and music

 

3:10 Alex Palmer's collection of weird and wonderful holiday traditions

We have blooming Pohutukawa and Santa parades, in Sweden a rowdy Yule Goat cruises around demanding gifts.  Christmas around the world is celebrated in unique and interesting ways.

Alex Palmer collects the weird and wonderful holiday traditions from across the globe for his new book, The Atlas of Christmas. 

 

3:35 Stories from Our Changing World.

3:45 The Panel with Nicky Pellegrino and Dean Hall