Afternoons for Friday 28 February 2025

A tribute to our late Executive Producer, Melita Tull. 

The Afternoons team and RNZ recently lost our Executive Producer Melita. Jesse wrote and read on air this tribute to her. You can either read or listen to the tribute here.

When I meet listeners on the street they often say the same thing. They say "you must have some great producers behind the scenes"

Sometimes I think about saying, "no, I do it all myself" so that I can soak up  maximum glory but usually my conscience gets the better of me and I admit that yes, we do have a brilliant team of producers who make my life as a presenter pretty easy.

For most of my ten years at RNZ the Afternoons show has been produced by Melita Tull. That's probably not a name you know. I don't think she's been on air once during that whole time. But she has always been right behind me - literally and metaphorically - right there when I needed her, nearby when I didn't.

Melita almost never took a sick day. Then last year she told me that the illness that she had successfully beaten once before, had returned. She went home from work that day, and for the past few months I've heard from her occasionally on text as she's made her way through the gruelling treatment in her usual fashion - stoically, and without a fuss.

The last text I personally have from her is in December wishing me a great summer break, sending love to my family, assuring me that her treatment was going well and she would return - not straight away, but soon.

All of us thought that was that. I hadn't checked in on her recently because I was waiting for someone to tell me she'd be back in tomorrow.

But yesterday her family told us that Melita has died.

I'm sharing this with you even though you probably didn't know her, because I feel like many of you feel an attachment to and ownership of this afternoons programme, and I wanted to let you know that as of yesterday a big part of it is now missing. I wanted to remind you to tell the people in your own life - in your family and at your work - that they are appreciated, that they're not taken for granted, and that you would miss them if they weren't there. 

Some of the best, visible parts of the afternoon show were thanks to her - the tote bags, the critter t-shirts, the reading parties - but then she was also responsible for the stuff you couldn't always quite point to. Making every guest feel welcome, making every contributor feel valued, making the every team member feel heard.

On behalf of our team at Afternoons and behalf of all of us at RNZ, I want to send our love this afternoon to Melita's partner Colin and her son Lorenzo. She was a private person but we all know how much you meant to her, know that though she was devoted to her job, her family was both her priority and her purpose.
 

1:10 Turning the dump into magic 

Northland may be one of the poorest places in the country but that doesn't mean locals don't take pride in where they live.

In the town of Moerewa, a disused piece of land that had become a dumping ground for rubbish has been transformed through a bit of initiative and a lot of hard work into an area the whole community can enjoy.

Joining me now is longtime resident and community leader, Pamela-Ann Simon-Baragwanath. 

1:20 Retracing Rosa Clara Moreton's steps

On February 7th 1890 Rosa Clara Moreton became the first European woman to walk the Milford Track. 

But before the trek, she had to travel two days by rowboat to the head of Lake Te Anau.

Now a group of Rosa's descendants have made the same journey.

One of those was Fiona Maddison, who joins Mark to talk through the journey.

1:35 Treasures in the shed?

If you have an old family heirloom in the cupboard - or an unusual artefact gathering dust, then Geraldine could be the place to be this weekend.

Tomorrow the Geraldine Lioness Lions Club are holding an Antiques Roadshow.

Bev Gregan is with the club, and she joins us to tell us about the day.

1:45 Freaky Friday: strange happenings in the aviation museum

Time for another Freak Friday listener story. This week Ian shares some strange occurrences involving an airplane museum and a Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk. 

2:10 Film Review: Tinā, I'm Still Here and The Monkey

Dominic Corry reviews new local production Tinā, oscar-nominated Brazilian drama I'm Still Here and Stephen King adaptation The Monkey. He also pays tribute to the late Gene Hackman.

2:20 NZ Live: Avalanche City and Luke Thompson

Singer songwriters Avalanche City (Dave Baxter) and Luke Thompson are about to embark on a NZ wide tour.

It's the first time Dave and Luke have played together in five years, so we are very pleased and excited to have them in the Auckland studio.

3:08 Food: Burrata and tomato salad with nectarine pomegranate dressing

Julie Biuso shares this delicious looking salad. Get the recipe here.

3:16 Music 101: Charlotte Ryan

Charlotte Ryan, host of Music 101 here on RNZ each Saturday afternoon from 1pm talks about what's happening on the music scene over the weekend, what's coming up on her show tomorrow and because Friday is new music day - she'll pick us a track to play.

3:25 Weekend Stuff: Gardening with Lynda Hallinan

The weekend is inching closer, so time to start thinking about those weekend jobs. This, of course, includes getting stuck into the garden. 

Gardening expert Lynda Hallinan is on the line with Mark Leishman to answer your garden queries and to discuss getting ready to plant your apples.

3:35 Critter of the Week: The Helmet Orchid

The windswept helmet orchid (Corybas dienemus) is a rare native orchid that likes cold, damp, windy places.

Like many of our native orchids, this species has an unusual flower. The plant produces a single leaf with one translucent green and purple flower with long, wispy, dancing arms.

3:45 The pre-Panel

Wallace Chapman and producer Tom Riste-Smith join today's host Mark Leishman for a preview of tonight's installment of The Panel.