Afternoons

The critter of the week is the water spider, Dolomedes aquaticus! This spider has a special affinity with water, spending most of their time near braided rivers. Dolomedes spiders are also called fishing spiders due to their unique method of capturing prey. They put their legs out in the water like a fishing line, feeling for the tell-tale vibrations of a struggling insect fallen in the water. Once they've honed in on their quarry, they'll quickly pounce to subdue their target. The short velvety hairs covering their body allows them to trap air and walk across the water through surface tension or even go underwater for up to 30 mins!

Interior designer Sylvia Sanford joins Jesse to talk lighting - and how to make sure you get it right in your home.

Yellow Brick Road's Martin Bosley joins Jesse to share his avocado and prawn Sandwich with tahini ginger dressing. He says it's a well-mannered and truly pretty sandwich, all subtle pinks and greens. This could also be the perfect salad for a summer lunch. Avocado and Prawn Sandwich with Tahini Ginger Dressing Dressing 1 tbsp Tahini paste 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tbsp sugar 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbsp ginger, peeled and grated 2 tbsp sesame oil For the sandwich 12-16 large prawns, depending on their size, cooked, peeled and heads removed 4 slices of baguette or crusty bread olive oil 2 avocados 1 tsp chives, chopped 1 tbsp mayonnaise 1/4 Iceberg lettuce, finely shredded 1 tbsp Japanese Shichimi Togarishi spice mix (optional) To make the dressing: Mix the Tahini paste and soy sauce together. Add the vinegar and sugar, stirring until it has dissolved. Whisk in the garlic, ginger and sesame oil. Mix with a little water until it is thin enough to pour over the prawns. Cut the prawns in half lengthways and lift out the black vein that runs along their backs with the tip of a sharp knife. Drizzle the slices of bread with olive oil and grill until one side is golden. Halve the avocado, remove the stone, peel and place the flesh into a mixing bowl. Using a fork gently mash in the chives and mayonnaise. Spread onto the bread, top with the shredded lettuce and the prawn halves. Spoon a little of the dressing over the prawns and sprinkle with the togarishi. *Shichimi Togarishi is made with 7 different spices, including chilli flakes, orange peel, sesame seeds and seasweed. It can be quite spicy, depending on the brand.

Film critic Dominic Corry shares his picks of the flicks available to see now: Bugonia - the new Yorgos Lanthimos black comedy starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, in theaters next week. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle - the remake of the '90s thriller, which is new on Disney+ this week.

Yes, it's that time of the week when we dig into your strange or harrowing stories. Now next Friday is the 31st of October, Halloween, and we want to make sure we have the spookiest story we can find .. so, if you have a scary encounter to share do let us know - 2101 or email afternoons@rnz.co.nz. Today, we're joined by Kevin, whose tale is less spooky and more surreal.

Trainee New Zealand police detective Amber Chauval has just returned from Nambia where she spent time with an anti-poaching unit at the Zannier Reserve. It was her fourth trip to Africa, she's previously worked in animal sanctuaries and rehabilitation centres, but this time, she wanted to be on the front lines of rhino poaching prevention. Poaching is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and while conservation efforts have helped prevent the complete extinction of rhinos, rampant illegal hunting continues to threaten their survival. Amber Chauval spoke to Jesse Mulligan.

Imagine being told, as a teenager, that the treatment that could save your life might also take away your chance to ever have children. Well, there's one doctor in New Zealand providing a rare fertility-saving procedure to change this. Dr Leigh Searle helps girls who are about to start cancer treatment by removing and freezing a tiny piece of their ovary - a literal time-capsule of fertility that could one day give them the chance to have children.

Now to news coming out of Auckland -Biosecurity NZ is urging people to be on the lookout for yellow legged hornets. Why you might ask? Well, for the first time, a yellow legged hornet queen has been discovered building a nest at a house in the suburb of Glenfield. To find out why this is concerning, and what to do if you spot one, Jesse is joined by Lloyd Carpenter a.k.a The Waspman.

As the wild weather subsides for most of us, attention is now turning to the clean-up job and filing insurance claims To share some advice on how to get your claim accepted quickly, Patrick O'Meara from the Insurance Council joins Jesse.

Going for a walk on the beach might feel like a distant dream looking out at the weather today, but summer is coming and in fact for some parts of New Zealand, is already here. Warmer weather means bluebottle jellyfish are hitting our shores earlier than usual, and that's got Vets raising the alarm because jelly fish and dogs are not a happy union. Former Vet Nurse Kerri Murray from Southern Cross Pet Insurance chats to Jesse.

Righto. let's talk money now, friend of the show and financial whizz Mary Holm is here to share her ten top tips and tricks.

It's time to return to the A-Z of Aotearoa. We've been making our way through the alphabet to look back at the iconic people and cultural touchstones that form New Zealand. We've arrived at 'K' today, so we're looking at the rich history of Kauri - the trees, the timber, the gum. Jesse speaks to Arty Bergman from Northland Kauri Timber about what it's like to work with Kauri in 2025, and Pete Panhuis, one of the country's foremost experts on Kauri.

Culture 101 host Perlina Lau and Afternoons Senior Producer Olivia Wilson talk to Jesse about how you maintain a family brand, why you can't fire your siblings and why actors keep getting plastic surgery.

The Grammy winning music producer talks to Jesse about a fundraiser for not-for-profit initiative Big Fan.

Chef Darren Jarrett reveals he's much more than that in his soon-to-be-released cookbook.

Andrew Patterson is a Professional Teaching Fellow in the Department of Management and International Business at the University of Auckland. He chats to Jesse.

Self-help isn't helping one of the biggest problems of our time: we've forgotten how to come together. Priya Parker has written a Substack guide on the lost art of coming together.

It's Wednesday which means time to talk Easy Eat, where we share a recipe that delivers on taste without demanding too much time. Our regular Easy Eats contributor Kelly Gibney is away so we've got the talented Olivia Galletly also known as The Hungry Cook, joining us.

Today on the show we're heading off to Southeast Asia - not Vietnam, not Thailand, but the quieter, lesser-known neighbour. Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, home to the Mekong River, French-style baguettes, and some of the most laid-back people you'll meet. Travel writer Jane Daniell has written a four-part series about travelling there on her website My Travel Room.

A new photography book has captured the incredible hidden world of New Zealand fungi Paula Vigus provided the acclaimed photography for the best-selling book - 'Fungi of Aotearoa: A curious forager's field guide' and she's back with her own book 'A Hidden World - Discovering the Beauty of New Zealand Fungi' Paula Vigus joins Jesse.