Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Barbara Dreaver is no stranger to a challenge.  She’s spent the past three decades shedding light on issues across the Pacific – getting locked up in Fiji, threatened in Papua New Guinea, faced natural disasters, and covered military coups and criminal activity.  An international correspondent and veteran of New Zealand journalism, Dreaver’s faced death threats for her tenacious pursuit of the truth.   Though she normally shines the light on others’ stories, Dreaver’s now decided to tell her own in a new memoir ‘Be Brave’.  She told Jack Tame that focusing on her own story has been really uncomfortable, but kind of cool at the same.  “I’m giving people a look behind the scenes at a time when, you know, media is not really trusted,” Dreaver explained.  “But I really want people to know just the sort of work and the effort and stuff that goes on behind the scenes – also a little bit of personal stuff as well.”  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that sunrise and dawn aren’t the same thing? Kevin Milne didn’t!  He made this discovery rather late in life, on a recent family holiday on the East Coast.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harry Styles has released his highly anticipated fourth album.  ‘Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally’ follows on from his 2022 album ‘Harry’s House,’ which won Album of the Year at the 65th Grammy Awards in 2023.   It’s a notable departure from his previous works, with heavy use of synthesisers and electronic elements – inspired, Styles says, by the music and performances of LCD Soundsystem.  Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame to share his thoughts on the album.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Witch Trail by Harriet Tyce   Two teenage girls. One murdered classmate. And a modern-day witch trial that will divide the nation.  When 18-year-old Christian Shaw is found dead in an Edinburgh park, the city reels - and the shock only deepens when police charge her best friends, Eliza Lawson and Isobel Smyth, with her murder.  As social media explodes and headlines scream for justice, rumours of bullying spiral into something whispers of rituals, obsession, and a teenage pact gone wrong.  Matthew Phillips, a respected heart surgeon, is reluctantly called for jury duty on the case. But as the trial unfolds - and the girls reveal a chilling defence no one saw coming - he begins to question the motives, the evidence, even his own judgement.  Who's telling the truth? Who can be trusted? And what really happened to Christian Shaw?  Let the Witch Trial begin . . .     The Hard Line by Mark Greaney   For a man who works in the shadows, a family is not just a luxury - it's a weakness.  When an unknown enemy uses threats against Zack Hightower's estranged daughter to blackmail the injured operative into taking on a dangerous mission, his friend, Court Gentry, aka the Gray Man, volunteers to take Zack's place.   But Court has problems of his own. He's already got an expert assassin on his trail for no apparent reason. And now his quest to protect Zack's family may drag his own family into the maelstrom. There's one lesson that Court has found undeniable: There's a reason superheroes have secret identities.    LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"The Bay of Plenty. Is there a more aptly named province in New Zealand? From the Kiwifruit Capital of the World to New Zealand’s Avocado Capital, the region’s sheer abundance of world-class fresh produce is quite exceptional. All the more reason to celebrate its plentiful produce, the enterprising growers and the stellar culinary verve coursing through the region. Introducing Flavours of Plenty, the region’s headline foodie festival which roars back into life over eighteen delicious days, kicking off on April 16th. This year’s bash marks its fifth outing, and the festival has fast cemented its credentials as one of New Zealand’s very best festivals on the culinary calendar. Strung right across Coastal Bay of Plenty, from Waihi Beach to Whakatāne, there’s a stack of lip-smacking events to sink your teeth into. On a recent visit to the region, I enjoyed a taster of the festival, which included some superb encounters with some of the region’s growers." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is a SuperAger and how do you become one?  A SuperAger is someone over 80 with an excellent memory, particularly for everyday events and personal history.  What we know about them:   They produce twice as many young brain cells as people in their 30s and 40s New brain cells are more adaptable or plastic and can help rewire and repair the brain when needed   Genetics do play a part, but so do lifestyle factors like a good diet, lowering your stress, and having good sleep patterns     There are also some psychological tools you can adopt that help develop SuperAging:   Developing an optimistic view of the world and people around you – if we break this down, optimistic people have the following pattern:   When something bad happens, they are less likely to blame themselves and see the problem as temporary   When something good happens, they are more likely to take credit for it, feel that it’s partly in their control, and that good things are likely to continue   It’s not about pretending stress or bad things don’t happen   It is something you can train yourself to do – easy practical way of doing this is taking 15-20mins a week and think of your “Best Possible Self” in the future when you have achieved all your life goals and resolved all your problems. Be very specific about what this would look like and make sure to include how that would feel for you.   Another way is “grace for atheists” where you spend time before the start of your evening meal deliberately bringing to mind and being thankful for several things that have occurred that day. Some days will be easier than others, but over time you can help train your brain to pay attention to these positive things. Your brain doesn’t need any practice looking for negative things – it does this automatically!   Regularly practising the Best Possible Self and grace for atheists exercises can help develop an optimistic mind-set, and increase your chances of being a SuperAger.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 7 March 2026, the Pacific's most experienced correspondent Barbara Dreaver joins Jack to discuss the challenges she's faced in three decades on the job, and her brand-new memoir ‘Be Brave’.  Jack shares his three main observations from the conflict in Iran.  Dr Bryan Betty shares why sitting too long may harm your health and Alice Taylor shares her top tips on cooking fish.  Plus, Ruud Kleinpaste reveals all on kingfishers and what they eat.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does sitting for long periods of time affect your health?   Research shows that long sitting times is linked to a higher risk of early death – but why?  Dr Bryan Betty joined Jack Tame to run through the research, and give a few options for reducing the risk.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple has launched a more affordable laptop and phone   If you spend a lot of your day on email, browsing the web, or in docs and spreadsheets, this is the machine for you. Designed for the 'everyday' type activities, the Macbook Neo is competing with lower-end Chromebooks and Windows PCs. It does come in one the high side of that market but has a premium feel with its all-aluminium design.   This is the first time Apple has used one of its phone chips in a MacBook. It is able to connect to an external display, has two USB-C ports, and a headphone jack. There are two models – one with TouchID and one without. The only drawback is that it's missing a backlit keyboard. It comes in silver, black, and two fun colours and starts at $NZ1,149.     They also launched the iPhone 17e   Slightly smaller than the iPhone 17, it is missing the wide-angle lens, the 'dynamic island', and 'center stage' feature which keeps you in frame on video calls. But it does have industry leading features like the satellite SOS mode, MagSafe, and 4K video. It starts at $NZ1,199 – $500 less than the 17, $1,150 less than the 17 Pro.    Anthropic has been designated a Supply Chain Risk   As we talked about last week, the beef with the DOD/W has turned into the designation. But it's narrower than the department was alluding to last week – it’s only preventing Anthropic from working with companies specifically in their work with the Pentagon, rather than a blanket ban across all departments. Anthropic is taking this to court.    LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Run   Conman. Criminal. Chameleon. Buckle up for a wild ride in the true story of bank robber Brenden Abbott, as he tears through Australia on a brazen spree of heists while dodging capture. Starring our very own George Mason and Robyn Malcolm (TVNZ+).      Scrubs JD and Turk scrub in together for the first time in a long time: Medicine has changed; interns have changed; but their bromance has stood the test of time (Disney+).    LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is no easier or cleaner way to cook fish at home. This works with literally every fish you can think of, from boneless fillets to squid or prawns.  Serves: 2    Time: 25 minutes       Ingredients    For the Fish:    2 skin-on fish fillets (snapper, or any white fish)    Fresh herbs (optional)    Salt and black pepper    Oil, for cooking    For the Potato Salad:    500g potatoes, sliced 1cm thick    1 pickle, chopped    1 tbsp capers, chopped    ½ small red onion, thinly sliced    2 tbsp olive oil    1 tbsp white wine vinegar    Fresh herbs like basil or parsley (optional)       Method    Season the fish fillets with salt 5-10 minutes before cooking. Pat them very dry with a paper towel, then rub with oil. Add fresh herbs and pepper to the flesh side if desired.    Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the sliced potatoes and cook for 5-6 minutes until just tender. Drain well.   While the potatoes cook, make the dressing: in a bowl, combine the pickle, capers, onion, olive oil, vinegar, and herbs. Add the hot potatoes and toss gently. Set aside.  Heat a cast-iron or heavy-based pan over high heat. Place the fish fillets on a sheet of baking paper, then transfer them skin-side down into the hot pan.    Cook on the skin side until the fish is almost cooked through (the flesh will turn opaque from the bottom up). This usually takes 4-6 minutes depending on thickness.    Flip the fish for just a few seconds on the flesh side, then remove from the pan immediately.    Serve the fish alongside the warm potato salad.        Tips      Dry skin = crispy skin. Patting the fish completely dry before cooking is the secret to perfectly crisp skin.   Use baking paper: Placing the fish on a sheet of baking paper before adding to the pan prevents sticking and makes flipping easier.  Adjust timing: Cooking time depends entirely on the thickness of your fillet. A good rule is about 3-4 minutes per centimetre of thickness on the skin side.  Any fish works: This method is perfect for snapper, salmon, or even squid and prawns (adjust timing accordingly).     LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sirāt   Luis is traveling through southern Morocco with his son, Esteban. They're searching for his daughter, who has been missing for five months, last seen at a dance festival in the desert. As the pair travel from party to party, they hear of a semi-mythical rave near the border of Mauritania. Descending into the scorched terrain as a not-so-distant global conflict encroaches, Luis and Esteban are soon drawn into a primal landscape in which they must walk a tightrope between heaven and hell.    Tenor: My Name is Pati  The story of Pene Pati and his brother Amitai Pati's journey from Samoa to platinum-selling success in the trio Sol3 Mio, and the world's great opera stages.    LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My wife is Iranian. The only reason she is in New Zealand, the only reason we’re together, the only reason we’re living our safe, peaceful life is her parents had the courage and good fortune to escape a terrible regime. They faced extraordinary persecution in Iran for their beliefs. They still have family back home. To say it’s been an interesting week in our household would be an understatement.   I have been buried in the news – even more than usual. But with all of the confusion and noise that comes in the immediacy of the conflict, there are three components I want to mention this morning which I think are underappreciated.   The first is the asymmetric component. My sense —at least from the US side of things— is that Donald Trump sees this as a conventional war with conventional armies. His jets are bombing their military institutions and defences. His military is targeting their military. His submarine is torpedoing their warship. He said this morning the war will only end when Iran unconditionally surrenders.   Except of course, even if Iran does decide to ‘unconditionally’ surrender (which seems unlikely), that won’t be it. In terms of conventional military firepower, Israel and the US are vastly better-resourced than Iran. But what Iran or its proxies can do is attack soft targets. What it can do is resource small pockets of radicalised people to inflict outsized pain and terror in the West. There are billions of Muslims, hundreds of millions of Shia who’ll be watching the war. And while many may abhor the Iranian regime, I’m sure some will view this as a war on Islam. Sadly, I think if we’ve learnt anything this century, it’s that the conflict is very likely to inspire terrorism in the West. It might not come in the next few weeks. It might not come in the next few months. But that’s almost the point, you never quite know.   The second is the nuclear component. If I were another country watching the events of this week, there are two ways I might look at things. I draw a direct line between Iran’s nuclear program and the war and conclude that even entertaining the idea of a bomb might get me assassinated. Or I might compare the fate of Iran or Libya or Ukraine with that of North Korea and conclude the only way to guarantee and fully protect my sovereignty in a messed-up world is to get a nuclear weapon. I think it’s very likely this war will lead to other countries pursuing the bomb.   The third is international law. Maybe the US will try and present some evidence about Iran posing an imminent threat, but the relative futility of Iran’s response so far has proved they didn’t. It was telling that when he made his video address announcing the strikes, Trump didn’t even bother trying to make a legal case.   And yet, the same Western countries that have been wittering on about the importance of international law and the rules-based order have explicitly supported the strikes, or in the case of New Zealand, lamely refused to be drawn on their legality. I don’t understand why people can’t appreciate it’s possible to both abhor the Iranian regime and demand the likes of the US live up to the most basic elements of international law.  Imagine a scenario a few weeks or months from now where a Chinese fleet occupies a reef within the exclusive economic zone of a Pacific nation. What would we do? Bleat about international law? Lol. Sorry.   I think there’s every reason to think the concept of international law is basically dead. But from New Zealand’s perspective... what else do we have? What other levers? If we cannot demand our friends and partners play by the rules, why on Earth should we expect anyone else to? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Gambler by J P Pomare  PI Vince Reid is visiting an old friend when he's offered a case he can't refuse: Why did a respected local woman open fire at a political rally, killing a promising young university graduate? It's easy money, he's told. A sure thing.    Spies and Other Gods by John Wolff  This spy thriller is set apart from others by being narrated by a kind of collective voice of MI5 - it's the spies watching the spies.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hall shares her tips for environmentally-conscious hiking, making sure that New Zealand's hiking tracks remain green for those who follow. Sustainable tramping & hiking  Borrow or hire gear instead of buying for one trip if you don't hike frequently. Buy second-hand outdoor clothing and equipment. Choose durable, repairable gear over ultracheap options. Pack food in reusable containers or beeswax wraps. Avoid single-serve snack packaging where possible. Take all rubbish home, including food scraps. Stick to tracks to protect ecosystems. Use biodegradable soap and only away from waterways. Choose merino or natural fibres that don’t shed microplastic See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We built a new Tunnel house around Christmas – meaning: we were far too late with our summer crop – just a few plants waited patiently in their pots to be put in the new facility and yes… they are having a go.   Relative warmth in February, March and April gives them ability to grow fruit well into autumn and when they are inside glass houses or tunnel houses they’ll even carry on in early winter. (that’s the situation in Canterbury)  In warmer areas it is usually a lot easier to keep on going; Auckland was a great place to keep the climbers on track.  A Sunny patch in the vegetable garden is probably one of the most important contributing factors. Six or even more hours a day is needed to keep it all going.  This year has been a pain – everything needs adjustment.   In our garden everything is late. But planting sizable tomatoes in early January is rather ridiculous… But there are some things you can do to get some crops in late summer.   It is important to trim the bottom new side shoots and let air circulate as much as possible. Trim off he yellow leaves too.    This is what it looks like after trimming.  The air movement reduces relative humidity and that allows the leaves below to dry much quicker. No fungal troubles ahead!  Keep on removing the “laterals” that form in between the new leaves – laterals attempt to make more and more side shoots, but too many of them result in too many small fruits all over the plants.  We had to plant our late tomatoes in excellent soil that looked and acted like compost-rich material. This allowed a quick and useful, fertile soil around the main stalk. This in itself made the roots grow fast and in all sorts of directions.   Every week or 10 days I made sure that the plants were well watered with a decent amount of water over the plant’s area of growth. Nitrophoska Blue is a brilliant complex of fertilizer in the form of a granular mixture. When plants are watered the granules are slowly released and deposited around the root zone.    Every 2 days I aim to gently water the plants; not too much… just keeping up with the liquid fertiliser which allows the tomatoes to grow new, deep-green leaves and healthy new fruits. My secret is SeaWeed Tea from Wet and Forget. I dilute the Seaweed Tea in the watering can (or an old plastic drinking bottle) to make the liquid look like a week tea.   The brilliant trick is to water the plants and root zones every 2 days or so and add some liquid fertiliser at the same time.  The tomatoes will reward you with great, tasty fruit while growing with Vapour Trails, so to speak. That means keeping an eye on the density of foliage, which needs to be trimmed regularly – give the plants space!  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 28 February 2026, kiwi acting legend Karl Urban joins Jack to discuss his latest action-packed project The Bluff.Jack shares his experience vibe-coding. Nici Wickes delivers a delicious gnocchi recipe. Ruud Kleinpaste chats keeping your tomatoes good for next summer. And, Chris Schulz is at Electric Avenue - he shares how the epic Split Enz reunion went down. Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wine: Askerne Semillon 2021, Hawke's Bay RRP from $23.99  A perfect bouquet of waxy citrus peel and yellow flowers, apple and peach. A seam of dry stone minerality and a gentle fruit spice quality adds complexity and charm. A dry wine with a satin-cream touch on the palate followed by flavours of tree and citrus fruits, quince and a developing complexity.   Lanolin – waxy oily smell and taste- very positive in wine, but zero to do with lanolin oil from woolly animals like sheep.  This wine has great integrity for several days in the fridge and will age well in the cellar also.  The Season: 2025 in Hawkes Bay has the potential to be one the better vintages for most varieties cultivated. A warm and dry Spring led to some early flowering delivering an early harvest and some significant volume. Overall the fruit quality was high and from what I have tasted so far from producers has ranged from very good to down-right outstanding.  The food match: With a young Semillon – oysters can work well, I prefer to eat sushi or prawn dishes with rice. Chicken and Pork dishes tend to work also, the real trick is aim for dishes that have a salt lick about them and definitely very low to no spice.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'Beyond the bright lights, city buzz and gorgeous gardens of Hamilton, the mighty Waikato is pitch-perfect for leisurely roadies. It’s a province generously endowed with so many enticements, from Middle-earth in Matamata to wonderland underground in Waitomo. But it’s also the fact that so many of Waikato’s towns are drive-to, not drive-through destinations.' Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AI companies are in a battle with the US Department of Defense/War  The US government has plans to use AI and wants to work with Anthropic but anthropic isn't so sure. The government wants unrestricted access, no guardrails, no safety protection that is usually built into the Claude chatbot to prevent misuse. Anthropic is especially concerned about using AI to survey the public, and carry out lethal strikes without human involvement.  The DOD/W is threatening to invoke the Defence Production Act - which would force the company to make its product available - or label it a 'supply chain risk' to prevent military suppliers from using it. Anthropic has pointed out that it's a little contradictory to say that it is both essential and not to be used in the same threat.  Open AI is backing Anthropic.    Open AI raised more money - more circular money merry-go-rounds  This time Amazon is throwing them tens of billions of dollars in exchange to use their in-house made chips and the AWS products. Bloomberg created a graphic showing all the AI deals and investments and it's wild just how many arrows are pointing every which way. Some analysts are nervous that if the AI boom turns to bust, there will be massive ripple effects.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.