Summer Times for Monday 11 January 2021

09:05 New Covid-19 variants cause concern 

Over the last month new variants of Covid-19 have been spreading further around the world. Managed isolation facilities here now hold cases of the highly-transmissible UK variant of Covid-19 and a new one associated with South Africa.

Almost a quarter of the country's live cases are now the UK variant and that number is expected to go up. The newer strains have meant Australia is tightening its MIQ rules after the UK variant was found in its community. 

Epidemiologist Associate Professor Nick Wilson from the University of Otago joins Emile to explain why this news is worrying local public health experts. 

09:20 Lynn 'Red' Paterson - kayaking around the country 

When Lynn Paterson - or Red as she's also known - told people she wanted to kayak around New Zealand, they said she couldn't do it. 

Not only that, some said she would die.  

But she set off from Takapuna Beach in Auckland on October the 27th - 2015, regardless. 

And, while it might have taken longer than expected, Lynn achieved her goal. 

09:30 Telling tales of a 1949 Ranfurly Shield challenge

In 1949 an historic Ranfurly Shield Challenge took place at Carisbrook stadium in Dunedin. 

Considered Buller's finest moment - the team unexpectedly drew with Otago six all, bolstered by the support of hundreds of visiting supporters. 

Julie Benjamin's father Harry Benjamin traveled to Dunedin from Westport.  

Now she's making an RNZ Eyewitness podcast about the trip he and his rugby club took to support the Buller team. 

09:45 Great Kiwi Album 2020: Cave Circles, Ships 

10:00 Ernest Cline: pop culture and science fiction 

Who doesn’t love a quest?

Nine years ago Ready Player One by self-confessed geek Ernest Cline sent readers on a quest to solve pop culture clues hidden in a virtual realty game. The prize; ownership of the game itself. 

Steven Spielberg adapted the novel into a sleeper hit. It’s game on again. 

Ready Player Two is the science-fiction sequel with a new quest and new ethical dilemmas that challenge the way we think about technology and how it affects our lives. 

10:30 Book Review - Mia Gaudin: Fake Baby by Amy McDaid 

10:45 Podcast Are we there yet? 

11:00 Bookmarks: Gyles Beckford​

This summer we've been speaking to some of RNZ's favourite hosts and contributors about their favourite books, songs, podcasts and more.

Today we're joined by RNZ's Business Editor, Gyles Beckford.

11:30 Riwa Wawatai - weaving to save lives 

Riwa Wawatai is an artist who's helping save babies lives. 

While she was studying the art of raranga, Māori weaving, she learnt how to make baskets - wahakura - that allow babies to sleep safely in the beds of their caregivers. 

She then had the plan to adapt what she'd learnt, and teach others how to make the wahakura. 

Riwa has since created a group of weavers in Hawke's Bay making wahakura to be donated to whanau there, and plans to extend the scheme. 

11:45 Regional Round Up  

Today we're talking to Local Democracy Reporter Charlotte Jones - can you guess where she is?