Summer Weekends for Saturday 18 January 2025

 

9:05 Dame Lynley Dodd on her lifetime's work

Dame Lynley Dodd's stories have captivated generations of children and adults selling more than 12-million copies worldwide.

Since her first book, My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes, won the LIANZA Esther Glen Medal in 1975, Dame Lynley's work has become a staple of children's literature in Aotearoa.

She is the latest recipient of the Prime Minister's Literary Achievement Award for fiction and joins Susana Lei'ataua to discuss her lifetime's work.

 

9:35 Sir Graeme and Lady Dingle on helping young people to thrive 

Sir Graeme Dingle has undertaken innumerable adventures around the globe, including hundreds of mountaineering, rock climbing and adventuring firsts. 

He is also known as the father of outdoor pursuits in New Zealand and the Graeme Dingle Foundation is dedicated to empowering tamariki & rangatahi through youth development programmes that equip them with the skills and confidence to thrive. 

He and his wife, fellow adventurer Jo-anne Wilkinson, have worked together for decades and sat down with Susana to talk about how they have now extended the age range for their programmes from primary school-aged children to 24-years-old.

 

10:05 Lord's first female groundskeeper Meg Lay on life in the middle 

Like many young people heading away on an OE, our next guest didn't have a clue what she wanted to do for a career.

Now Meg Lay is the first ever female groundskeeper at the famous Lord's cricket ground in London.

Meg's currently back in New Zealand for the holidays and joins us from the Christchurch studio. 

 

10:25 The World Buskers Festival is a street performing extravaganza

From Friday, Christchurch's streets, venues, and public spaces will be filled with performing artists from around the globe.

The ten-day, World Buskers Festival is about to get underway.

It's been attracting some of the world's best street-artists since 1994, and this year features 330 performances.

Susana is joined by the festival's directors Drew James and Pitsch Leiser to hear what's in store....

 

10:40 Peter Gordon: Summer Kai Kōrero: Raw fish on twice cooked sesame kūmara

Peter Gordon is the pioneer of fusion food and for 40 years he's gathered ingredients, textures and techniques from the kitchens of the world.

He's owned award winning restaurants from Wellington to London, New York and Auckland and we are thrilled he's including Summer Weekends in his summer plans this month.

This morning chef or "coach" Peter Gordon takes us through his recipe of raw fish on twice cooked sesame kūmara, salted cucumber, taro chilli crisps, lime chilli dressing. 

 

11:05 Surf Club: Oreti

Each week during Summer Weekends we've been checking in with surf live saving clubs around the motu  - where thousands of people volunteer each summer to keep us safe

Today we're off to the southernmost surf lifesaving club  - not only in New Zealand  - but in the world! 

Oreti Surf Club is close to Invercargill - it's famous for being the spot where Burt Munro tested his Indian motorcycle.

It also attracts throngs of swimmers in summer. Susana caught up with Oreti Surf Lifesaving Club captain, Sam Webster.

 

11:25 Shakespeare re-imagined in crime-riddled post-war England 

If it's an Auckland summer there's one thing you can count on - and that's Shakespeare in the park.

The festival has been running since 1996,  in the outdoor amphitheatre at The PumpHouse Theatre, in Takapuna.

It begins this weekend and this year, audiences will have a chance to see The Taming of the Shrew and Richard lll.

Catherine Boniface is directing Richard lll and joins Susana to tell her how the show has been re-imagined to be set in the world of violent crime in post-war England.

Catherine says it's an action-packed show for everyone - especially those who think Shakespeare is 'stuffy'.

 

11:40 Rei and Huia on their new tracks and taking Māori music global 

Auckland-based musicians Rei and Huia are performing together at Music in Parks Festival programme in Auckland this Sunday. 

The travel buddies and frequent collaborators joined me in the studio to talk about visits to music expos in Sydney, Tokyo, and Manchester last year, where they connected with indigenous artists from around the world. 

They also talked through their summers so far, and what's in store for 2025. 

 

Huia is performing later today at LuckyStar Variety Show at Dickies Flat in Waikato. 

Then on Sunday at 4pm, Huia joins Rei onstage at Milford Reserve in Auckland as part of the free Music in Parks Festival.

 

 

Music played in this show

Bill Sevesi Team - Bamboo Swing (intro music)

Roy Orbison - In Dreams

Jalen Ngonda - Come Around and Love Me

Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman 

Gusto Gusto - West Preston Lullaby 

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair

M People - Moving On Up 

Blondie - Atomic 

Huia - Kawakawa

Rei - High Tide