Podcasts about Jack Tame

Their 27th album and their most theatrical yet, Phantom Island is the latest release from Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It's a partner to their prior album, Flight b741, and was recorded during the same sessions, continuing on with the same themes, but with a more orchestral sound. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to share her thoughts on the album. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queen of the stage, Alison Quigan is a mainstay in New Zealand's performing arts scene. You may know her best as Yvonne Jeffries, Shortland Street's maternally-minded receptionist, or from one of her many theatre productions, as Quigan has spent her career creating stories that portray the real lives of Kiwis on stage. She's back to her theatrical ways, directing a brand-new production by Sir Roger Hall, ‘End of Summer Time'. It's the story of retired cow cocky Dickie Hart and his wife Glenda's move to Auckland, a decision Dickie thinks is the beginning of the end. Quigan told Jack Tame that Hall's a great observationist, and it's his understanding of his audience that allows them to connect with his works. “He's been telling the story of this particular generation for 50 years, and he is very loyal to them and they are very loyal to him.” She started directing his plays in the late 80's when she took over Centre Point Theatre in Palmerston North, but as a solo show, this one is a little bit more complex than normal. “You're actually trying to create all the other characters with the actor, and obviously with the writer, and so it's a case of making sure that he's, he can get from A to B to C to D, to all of that, so he can get through to the end of the play,” Quigan explained. “So there's the practical part of understanding how a solo show works, but also reassuring and just loving what this other person can bring to the play.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I still remember the exact seat where I was sitting. It was 20 years ago, and I was primed for one of the key exams in my tertiary education. I'd passed Teeline shorthand at 40 words a minute. 50 words, 60 words, 70 words. To progress on my journalism course and ultimately earn a degree I had one final challenge: I had to pass a Teeline shorthand exam at 80 words a minute. We learnt Teeline from a wonderful tutor, a woman named Julie with exacting standards, a wicked sense of humour, and a way with words. She'd peer over your shoulder when you were tracing out different characters. “That's a squitty-looking outline,” she'd say with a wry smile. The moment I realised I'd passed 80 words a minute, I walked up to the front of the class and kissed her on the cheek. It took five months of work with daily lessons. I drilled myself with cassette tapes at home. But in a stuffy room on Madras Street, finally, I'd done it. But here's the crazy thing. That was the very last time I seriously used Teeline shorthand. That's no reflection on Julie. She was an amazing tutor, and shorthand skills had been fundamental for journalists for however-many decades. But back in 2005, what no one had apparently stopped to consider was whether those skills would be necessary in a world on the cusp on smart phones. What's the point in trying to keep up with shorthand when your phone can record a verbatim interview and even transcribe it in real time? Since our son was born, I've found myself thinking a lot about my shorthand experience in the context of AI. And I kept returning to a fundamental question: what skills and knowledge should we actually be teaching our kids? In the UK, surveys have suggested that 90% of university students are using AI to help with assessments. I'm frankly surprised it's not more. But educators around the world are trying to grapple with how to get around the likes of Chat GPT, Claude, and DeepSeek in assessing students' learning. So far at least, technology which purports to scan students' submissions for signs of AI is having mixed results at best. Many assessors are advocating for a complete return to in-person exams with hand-written essays. And yet in stewing over this, I couldn't help but wonder if in some ways that misses the point. It's like long division in the age of the calculator. Sure, it's a nice-to-know. But be honest. Do you actually use it? How many of us actually need manual long division skills in the modern age? What's the point in rote-learning historical dates when they are but a Google away? What's the point in learning where to place a semicolon when you can always spell and grammar check your work? When it comes to AI, instead of trying to work around it, I wondered, are we not better just to fully embrace it and try to teach our kids how to maximise the utility of the technology? Ultimately, two points have given me reason to pause. First of all, it occurs to me that we're not very good at foreseeing what skills will and won't be relevant in the workplace of the future. It was only a few years ago that everyone was urging young people to drop everything and learn how to code. Now, coding jobs are among the first ones being gobbled up generative AI. And it's easy in reflecting in my Teeline shorthand example to miss the even greater lesson. It's true, Teeline skills haven't been necessary or helpful in my almost-twenty years of journalism. But what has been helpful is the discipline that experience taught me. What has been helpful is the organisation skills, the accountability, the professionalism. In learning Teeline, I learnt shorthand. But more importantly, I learnt how to learn. Whether it's through long division, historical essays or anything else... surely that is the skill should aspire to educate in our kids. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Chewie said on the weekend, Jack Tame wore Brooke van Velden as a hat on this week's Q&A where she looked out of her depth, under prepared and unintelligent when asked to stretch he ideas 1% outside her talking points. It was so very bad she'll probably disappear for the next 6 months like after the last time she was on Q&A.David Seymour and ACT released to full unedited version of his interview with John Campbell today and he looks terrible in it. Some of the evidence that Campbell isn't the "shill" him and his supporters say, is that he cut out much of the chatter that made Seymour look even worse...but not to worry, ACT released it all so we now can see the terrible content that TVNZ hadn't published.Radio Goddess Stacey Morrison delivered a powerful speech at this years NZ Radio and Podcast Awards where she both chided and charged the assembled 700 media workers to be the bastion of furthering te reo. It was an amazing thing to see live and we want to share it with you tonight.=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

At some point in their life, most women will experience menopause. It generally impacts women between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age New Zealand women will begin to experience menopause being 52. At menopause, the ovaries stop releasing eggs and menstrual periods stop. In most cases, if someone hasn't had a period for 12 months in a row, they are considered post-menopausal. Significant symptoms are experienced by approximately 70% of those experiencing menopause – common ones including anxiety, low mood/depression, hot flushes, brain fog, nausea, and fatigue. Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to discuss menopause, why awareness should be raised around it, and how to support someone dealing with it in the workplace. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britpop legends Pulp are back after 24 years. They released their 8th album, More, which was recorded over the span of three weeks, starting in November of 2024. In the Bandcamp description for the album, Jarvis Cocker writes: “We hope you enjoy the music. It was written & performed by four human beings from the North of England, aided & abetted by five other human beings from various locations in the British Isles. No A.I. was involved during the process. This album is dedicated to Steve Mackey. This is the best that we can do. Thanks for listening.” Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to share her thoughts on the album. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A significant milestone happened in Kevin Milnes life recently – or shall we say a Milnestone. Wednesday marked 50 years since he and his wife Linda went on their first date, and he joined Jack Tame for a chat about marriage, relationships, and anniversaries. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nadia Lim is a chef with a finger in every pie. She's a MasterChef New Zealand champion, cookbook author, TV personality, dietitian, entrepreneur, and an inspiration for many in the kitchen. Her recipes and passion have shaped the way many approach food, the release of her cookbook Easy Weeknight Meals inspiring plenty of people to take up utensils. To mark the 10th anniversary of that very cookbook, a special edition is being released, complete with 16 bonus My Food Bag recipes. Easy Weeknight Meals 10th Anniversary Edition, published by Allen & Unwin NZ, RRP $39.99. She told Jack Tame that ten years has gone by fast – time moving faster the older you get. “I'm 40 this year and I started this journey out when I was like, 25, and gosh, the time's just flown by,” Lim said. “I've never been a great person at kind of, looking back in the past, but when anniversaries like this come around, it's a good time to kind of look back and stop, pause, and reflect.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who could possibly, in their wildest dreams, ever have imagined it? Who could possibly have foreseen that the world's wealthiest man and the world's most powerful politician might blow up their bromance in the most spectacular fashion? Elon on Don? Feuding? Nooooo. Say it ain't so! The curious thing is the pair of them do have a few qualities in common. Hypocrisy, for starters. Having pledged many dozens of times to pay down his country's debt, Donald Trump pushed forward legislation that will actually grow the debt by an estimated NZ$4 trillion. Having pledged to cut waste from the same government's spending, Elon Musk heroically cut support for HIV-positive mothers while simultaneously taking billions of dollars in subsidies and contracts that benefit his own companies. Another common quality? The speed with which they both go nuclear. In the space of a few hours we had Trump threatening to cut SpaceX funding, Musk threatening to decommission the rocket used to get US astronauts to space, and an accusation about the Epstein files made without any evidence, which nonetheless, I thought the White House was notably less-than-emphatic in denying. In my view, Elon Musk has been heading for a fall for a long, long time. I think his behaviour is erratic. Whether it's Nazi salutes or his public statements, I think he seems unbalanced. I think the reporting about his drug use is consistent with his appearance at the White House and the fact he's in multiple custody battles with multiple women over children he's barely spent any time with says an awful lot of awful about his character. And while, sure, at his best, he has achieved some extraordinary things, you only need to log in to X to see that one of the most productive human beings in the history of our species is these days dedicating an obscene amount of his time and energy to juvenile posts, lies and conspiracies on social media. Unlike Trump, Elon Musk isn't charismatic. He isn't funny. The more people see of him, the less they like him and his products. And despite his threats to start a third political party and take down Republicans who support the President's bill, he doesn't have anything like the pulling power or cult support of the President. In April, Musk poured almost NZ$50m into a single judicial election in Wisconsin and his candidate lost. If anything, Musk's money and his support hurt the guy's chances. Who knows where this feud is headed? Maybe they'll cool off and make up in a few days. Regardless, there will only be one winner. It won't be Elon Musk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, former Labour Minister Stuart Nash and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Government wants state owned enterprises to pick up its game - or else? Chris Luxon has ruled out asset sales this term, but do we think they're on the horizon? The Privacy Commissioner has given the thumbs up to Foodstuffs' facial recognition software. Would we mind if this technology was rolled out nation-wide? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Government's latest OCR update was delivered this afternoon - what did we think of it? Are we getting dangerously close to 'stagflation' territory? Should we stop contributing so much to MPs' KiwiSavers? Movie theatres are seeing a revenue decline - do you still go to the movies? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a decade of chart-topping hits, sold-out tours, and almost 300 million streams, Mitch James is stepping away from music for good. He's set to take the stage one last time for The Final Show – an emotional send-off at the Christchurch Town Hall on Saturday 24 May. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to share her thoughts on Mitch James's final album. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's one of the curious things about the structure of modern liberal democracies. Whether its sharemarkets or political cycles or even media coverage, a lot of the big forces that shape our society are influenced by short-term incentives. It gets us into all sorts of pickles. Take the Three Waters and the crisis with water infrastructure in New Zealand. The main reason we find ourselves with a vast infrastructure deficit is because for decades, heaps of local councils haven't properly invested to maintain the pipes. Why didn't they invest? Simple. Investment takes money and money means rates. And with woeful levels of engagement with local body elections, big rates increases and pledges to spend millions on water infrastructure that no one could see or appreciate weren't exactly vote-winners. Councillors who wanted to be re-elected have been incentivised to defer spending for the future. Someone else's problem. Predictably, of course, it snowballed. I think we risk the same thing with the aging population and the future of superannuation in New Zealand. We know that in a few short years, as more baby-boomers retire, the cost for superannuation combined with the impact of an older population on the health system is going to massively increase pressure on the Government books. Treasury has been warning about it for ages. There are going to be fewer of us of working age supporting more of us who are retired. And yet since the advent of KiwiSaver, there have been very few big steps to address the fast-approaching meteorite. I'm pleased to see the Government move on Kiwisaver contributions in the Budget this week. It's well overdue in my opinion, and although it'll be a burden for a lot of businesses in the short term, I'd personally support steps that encouraged a greater rate of retirement saving in the future. It occurs to me that a massively underrated component in the Australia vs New Zealand equation is superannuation. Saving for super is compulsory in Australia. But not only are wages higher across the ditch, in six weeks, the compulsory employer rate goes to 12%. I'm not suggesting we instantly introduce a 12% rate here – businesses would be driven into the ground. But it's interesting to note that in Australia, for most workers, the tax on employer contributions is much lower than that in New Zealand. In the next few decades, Australians are set to retire with hundreds of thousands of dollars more than their New Zealand counterparts. I turn 65 in 27 years. I have no expectation that superannuation in its current form will exist by the time I get there. I have a sense of fatalism about the whole thing. It feels inevitable that I'll be paying for older generations to enjoy universal super, only for the settings to finally change once I'm on the home straight to 65. I do find one thing about the Government's move this week particularly curious. They've opened the door to means-testing KiwiSaver. Those who earn more than $180,000 won't receive the Government contribution. I don't claim to know what the best solution is. But there will be many working New Zealanders wondering, this week... if means-testing KiwiSaver benefits is acceptable, why shouldn't superannuation be means-tested too? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland FC's made a record-breaking start to their debut season and fans are hopeful the team can go all the way to the top. Saturday is the biggest chapter yet, with 29,000 people set to pack an expanded Go Media Stadium for the second leg of the semifinal with Melbourne Victory. Andrew Saville joined Jack Tame to discuss further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's leading contemporary dance company Black Grace is celebrating 30 years this year - and their latest production offers an intimate look at a familiar emotion. Rage Rage was crafted as a response to the chaotic times we live in, and it features dance infused with physical theatre. Award-winning playwright Leki Jackson-Bourke and emerging dancer Justice Kalolo joined Jack Tame to discuss the project. "I think people will kinda get the themes we're trying to work with - without giving the show away too much. But there's something that's relatable to everyone who comes to watch." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chloe Swarbrick was on Q&A in the weekend and probably can come out of it with a C+ score. Many before Swarbrick haven't been prepared well enough to face Jack Tame, and he asked several questions that the Greens co-leader needed to defer to another time. Overall Swarbrick covered a lot of ground talking alternative budget, inheritance tax, free dental, nurses pay and more.Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury starts a new podcast this week and he joins us tonight live at 9pm to talk about news of the day and what to expect from his new broadcast.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi are facing a three-week suspension without pay from Parliament over the haka they did during a vote on the Treaty Principles Bill whereas Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, who initiated the haka, is facing a seven-day suspension but Speaker Gerry Brownlee has decided, as the punishments are unprecedented and so harsh, the entire Parliament must debate them=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

Another member is joining the Hall household and true to her nature, Kate Hall has been looking at how to keep having a baby a little more sustainable. She joined Jack Tame to talk about the reality of baby marketing versus what's actually needed, what they plan to do for nappies, and give a few tips for navigating offers of hand-me-downs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Forest House' is the latest album to come from NZ Best Country Artist Winner Jenny Mitchell. In her own words, the album is filled with songs that reflect everything that happens within the four walls of a house – new beginnings, endings, the good, bad, nostalgic, and everything in between. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to share her thoughts on the release, as well as a personal anecdote. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Naked Samoans launched a new era of popular culture in New Zealand with bro'Town and their smash hit Sione's Wedding films. They were instrumental in pushing Pasifika humour into the mainstream, and are still going strong after three decades. They're returning to the stage this month for the International Comedy Festival, performing The Last Temptation of the Naked Samoans. David, Shimpal, Robbie, and Mario piled into the ZB studio with Jack Tame, setting a record for the most guests squeezed in for an interview. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

210 days ago, I was blinking into the sun at Go Media Stadium as Auckland FC strode out onto the pitch for their first-ever A-League game. The club was owned by a billionaire and the team's style of play wasn't immediately alluring – the very first goal in the club's professional history came courtesy of an opposition player. I knew about two of the players and had to keep cross-checking the action on the pitch with my gameday programme. Upon reflection, there were plenty of reasons why Auckland FC might not have taken off with fans quite as they have. And yet here we are, seven months on, in the semi-finals of the A-League. The crunchy end of the season for the team that has consistently drawn the biggest crowds in the competition. I can confirm I've crossed a sporting threshold this season. As much as I love the Crusaders, Auckland FC in my sporting priority each and every week. I've talked before about how the club really nailed the matchday experience. And let's not kid ourselves and imagine the season would have been quite the same if they hadn't been winning. But given they started from nothing, it's also notable the extent to which the club has actively tried to build and nurture a fanbase. It cannot be easy to snap your fingers and try to build a culture and fanbase overnight. But the club has held however many meet-and-greets. They've had an enduring outreach programme with local football clubs. They ‘ve held training days for kids and even made an appearance at my mate's local school fete last weekend. They've had autograph sessions and sponsor gigs and even shipped the regular season trophy around corporate offices in downtown Auckland – including this one! As an organisation, Auckland FC has hustled. And I think the same attitude permeates into their style of play. The players run hard. They try hard. And it's paid off however many times this season when the team has scored a goal in the dying seconds of a game to snatch a draw or even a win. I read an interview at the start of the season in which the players talked about their backgrounds. Apart from the captain, Hiroki Sakai, no one was a big league superstar, and honestly, they knew it. They were professional footballers, sure. But no one was signing perfume deals and earning half a million bucks a week. They had everything still to prove and the only way to do it was through graft. By the nature of an inaugural season, everything Auckland FC has done this year has been a first. But knock-out football is a different kind of pressure. It's a home-and-away semi, of course, with the away leg first. Part of me feels a bit anxious about that. Was it really in our interests to have a full week off before getting up for a critical match in opposition territory? Sport can be glorious, and sport can be cruel. Winning the Premier's Plate does not guarantee anything at this stage of the season. But like so many others, in a few short months, I've come to feel a deep affinity for this team. I now know the respective club histories of players who were effectively strangers in October. I know our defence is our greatest strength: Paulsen, Hall, Sakai, Smith, Pijnaker. That Louis Verstraete blends a technical finesse with an enthusiasm for a 50/50 physical challenge. That Francis de Vries will always whip in a ridiculously good delivery and Guillermo May is just waiting to lash it in with that left foot. I know how lucky we are to have had this season. How good it is for NZ football. And seven months since that first game, with the knock-out stages upon us, I know we can win. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, David Farrar from Kiwiblog and Curia and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Green Party has unveiled their alternative Budget - what do we make of it? How laughable are these ideas? Brooke van Velden made history in Parliament today by dropping the c-bomb to call out Labour for referencing the Andrea Vance column. Was this the right move? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne recently received an email, passed on by Jack Tame, about advice he gave on the show 18 years ago. He said that parents should buy an exercise book, tie a pencil to it and write in even the little highlights of their kids growing up. The listener did just that, giving his son a book filled with special moments and memories on his 21st birthday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a decade of making music, Chaos in the CBD has finally released their debut album. ‘A Deeper Life' is a labour of love from brothers Louis and Ben Helliker-Hale, a house album that pays tribute to their lives growing up in Aotearoa. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the release. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's catholic leader says Pope Francis' legacy will live on under the church's new leader. 69-year-old Robert Prevost was elected the new pontiff after the fourth ballot of the conclave yesterday, taking the name Leo XIV. He is the first Pope from the United States and the first from the Augustinian order of the church. New Zealand Archbishop John Dew voted in the conclave, and says in the ten days of meetings leading up to the vote, they discussed what's needed in the church and the world today. He says everyone was saying while they can't have a copy of Pope Francis, his initiatives should continue. He told Jack Tame the new pope has been a natural fit. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Yardley's on an adventure in London, experiencing luxury hotels and five star dining experiences. He joined Jack Tame to delve into some of his top destination dining picks. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The centre of the world. It's a funny concept, really, because on a planet with 8 billion people, the world's attention never settles on any one event or thing for much more than a moment. Most of the time you would probably argue that the world's attention is divided and scattered. It takes an historic moment, something really big, truly significant, to hone those 8 billion sets of eyes to one point. And to be there in person, to actually experience it for yourself is to be an eyewitness to history. I met a guy who was on his OE in Europe in 1989 when he woke up one morning and heard maybe something was stirring. He hustled to a train and ended up with his photograph in the New York Times, tearing down the Berlin Wall. Truthfully, I can't compete with that. But by the nature of my job, I guess I've been fortunate to witness some reasonably significant events, first hand. I sat there as Pope Francis addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations. I've seen Presidential inaugurations, Obama speaking on the mall. I was there in the room in 2016 when Donald Trump strode into a Philadelphia arena and formally accepted the Republican nomination for President of the United States. Something tells me that despite our geographic isolation, New Zealanders are good at sniffing out big historic moments. It could be a regal one – a royal wedding of a funeral? It can be a tragic event like witnessing the 9/11 attacks. Sport can be a good one. I saw Leo Messi score for Argentina at the opening game of the 2014 Football World Cup. That was special. And I was sitting on the finish line when Usain Bolt won the 100m at the Rio Olympic Games. Sometimes it takes luck. Sometimes it takes money. And sometimes it takes an exclusive kind of privilege that almost none of us will ever have. Take a papal conclave. There might be 1.4 billion Catholics on the planet, but only those cardinals who were in the room will ever truly know what it was like to be a part of that conclave. Just being outside in St Peters Square would be an incredible experience; the moment everyone saw the white smoke. But just imagine being inside. If you were to divide the number of followers worldwide by every man in that room, there are more than ten million Catholics for each individual cardinal. But only those cardinals will know what it's like to be there in person, to see the votes tallied, to hear the new Pope choose a name. The world's attention might have been focused on the Vatican, waiting for the smoke, but for this moment, only a tiny few were there. 133 eyewitnesses to a moment in history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! It's day two of the pay equity saga - what do we make of all this? Has the Government mishandled this? Was it a bad call to rush the law through the way it has? Should they admit they're just doing it for the money? Should we take Donald Trump seriously when he floats ideas like making Canada the 51st state? How much attention should we give statements like these? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although we all try, budgeting doesn't work for everyone. Instead, Ed McKnight has what he calls the 'Economist's Pay Routine', an alternative that allows you to budget without budgeting. He joined Jack Tame to break down the method. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of New Zealand's most treasured musical acts, Sir Dave Dobbyn, will perform at Auckland Town Hall, the first time he has hit the stage there solo. The 68-year-old has previously performed at the prestigious venue with his band Th' Dudes, but has never showcased his own set. That will change on June 4, when he and his touring band look to cover songs from his 45-year recording career. Announced as part of the Auckland Winter Concert Series lineup, Dobbyn and his band will perform everything from his celebrated anthems to “an extraordinary catalogue of deeper cuts”. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to discuss the event. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prominent businessman, author and former politician Sir Bob Jones has died in Wellington after a brief illness - aged 85. Jones formed the New Zealand Party in 1983, which stood for 10 years. He received a knighthood in 1989 for services to business management and the community. Kevin Milne told Jack Tame he will be remembered as a terrific writer. He says Wellington already feels all the more grey for his passing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Macintyre captivates readers with true stories. He expertly unravels complex historical events, explaining sharp subplots and side characters while artfully deploying dry humour to make the true stories he tells digestible. His most recent non-fiction work is The Siege – a story of how in April 1980, six men stormed the Iranian embassy in London and took 26 hostages they held for six days. Macintyre told Jack Tame he was 17 when the situation took place, and since that point he'd always wanted to write about it. “It was the most dramatic thing I'd ever seen on television,” he said. “It was one of those stories that entered mythology very quickly – it became a sort of story of, sort of SAS daring do, and kind of you know, fighting against the odds, and you know, the story itself is much more complicated than that.” “I've really enjoyed writing this one.” Macintyre is coming to New Zealand for the Auckland Writer's Festival, delving into his work at three different events across the festival. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was taken aback by how long it had been since I'd last come to town. It's amazing how time creeps up on you like that. One minute you're at Grandma and Grandad's place every few months, knocking around with your siblings. The next you're going through Grandad's drawers, packing him a bag of his most precious possessions. The next, you realise it's three years since you even drove down his street. State Highway One was an absolute shocker. I was driving the old straight line, heading South from Christchurch. Rolleston, Dunsandel, Rakaia. The storm was fierce. There was surface flooding and the rivers were up which obviously made things worse, but some of the potholes were so large they could've swallowed the irrigators that usually crawl the paddocks on either side of the road. Those irrigators have brought a lot of prosperity to mid-Canterbury. But not on Grandad's street. His place was an old state house on what Dad always called the wrong side of the tracks. Given the main trunk line cuts right through the middle of town, it's a literal thing in Ashburton. Dad reckons the family moved in in about 1967. A two-bedroom place, clad in a shocking baby blue, an 85m2 state house, on a 900m2 section. They don't do property like that anymore. The Tames had arrived from UK a few years earlier – migration had cost them everything they had. By the early 1980s, on his limited income, Grandad saved up and for $21,500 he bought the house from the government as a home for life. He spent his working life slowly chipping away and paying off the mortgage. The quarter acre dream. Grandad always had an amazing garden. He made the most of all that space. There were vegetable beds and fruit trees, a huge compost heap. Flowers out the front. Harakeke. We used to play games of hide-and-seek and go-home-stay-home before retiring inside for luncheon and tomato sauce sandwiches and vegetable soup. At home, our parents didn't put salt in our food, and it was always a thrill to eat a hot lunch prepared by someone less concerned by cholesterol readings. The neighbours back then were mixed. I remember Grandad telling us once that if we hit the tennis ball over the fence it was best to just get a new one. I doubt the Police were strangers to the neighbourhood. Inside, I used to curl up in Grandad's La-Z-Boy and read Grandma's gossip magazines by the fire. On the times we stayed over, I read old Biggles stories. We'd all get covered in Labrador fur. They had a faux grandfather clock in the living room with a mechanism that filled every silence. Click, click, click. Grandad lived in that house for 55 years. He raised his sons there. He lost his wife, there. When it finally came time to leave, my cousin found his war medals, hidden away in a clothes drawer. When I came around the corner, the rain was pelting the windscreen. It took just a moment to get my bearings. The little place next door was gone. A similarly vast section, where once there was a humble cottage, it was filled now with a tidy row of modern units. But there was Grandad's. Some of the baby blue cladding was missing. The harakeke and the flowers at the front had all been ripped out. I'm sure the veggie patch is done. But the house was still there. Tired, but still there. Nothing lasts forever. I can't say with certainty when I'll be back. But I know one day I'll come around that corner, and Grandad's place will be gone too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog writer and Curia pollster David Farrar and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Wellington City Council has voted in favour of supporting lowering the voting age to 16 in local body elections. This is never going to go anywhere - is it? The Government's latest curriculum update involves teaching students about financial literacy. Do we think schools should be teaching this - or should it be taught at home? What do we make of Nicola's almost zero-budget one day on? Do we agree with Nicola's plan - or should she be going further? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ed Gamble is a man of many hats. Champion of the Taskmaster UK, podcast co-host, author, television host, standup comedian – on top of this, he's an absolute food fanatic. He's bringing a feast of comedy to New Zealand with his new show ‘Hot Diggity Dog', filled with his classic “ranting, raving and spluttering”. Gamble told Jack Tame he describes the show as a collection of things that have happened to him since he last did a show, including a bit about his disastrous honeymoon and one about buying a cat with his wife. “It's a lot more exciting than my description of it makes it sound,” he reassured. “I promise you'll be on the edge of your seat, even though it sounds incredibly tedious and middle class.” He'll be performing live in Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland – tickets available on TicketMaster. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Samantha Fish is offering up nine new powerhouse songs on her latest album ‘Paper Doll'. It's Fish's 13th album, and the first she's recorded with her touring band, leaning into her strengths as a musician in a way she hasn't before. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the new release. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I had a funny entry in my calendar this week that took me a moment to decipher. ‘Mava 1C anniversary' it said. My heart skipped a beat. Anniversary?! Oh, hang on. No. Stand down. Forget romance. What my entry was telling me I'd just reached the anniversary for this very radio show, in which I'd shared with you our decision to become a one car household. We made the call at the start of 2023 because Mava had an old dunger that needed to go, and in theory it didn't seem necessary for us to replace it. Sure, it was convenient having two cars. It was what we'd always been used to. But with a bit of coordination and organisation, we reckoned at the very least, moving to one car was worth a crack. We're now more two years in, and we are still a one-car household. But in other ways, our circumstances have changed. For starters, there's now four of us – Me, Mava, our eight-year-old, and our 10-week-old baby. That means a baby capsule AND a booster seat. And we've upgraded from my oh-so-cool, grey Toyota Corolla to an oh-so-cool white Toyota Corolla. You could say I'm on a coroll. Every household and every family is different, and there are things that make our set up easier and things that make it harder. For starters, we live really centrally, which certainly helps. But we also have kids. Kids who have appointments and sports and playdates with their friends. Kids who need to be in different places at the same time. The way it works is that I default to not taking the car. About 80% of my journeys, I ride my bike. When it's really heavily raining, I take the bus to work or catch an Uber. When Mava isn't pregnant or carrying a newborn baby, she rides her bike too. The Uber thing is actually a big one. Again – easier when you live in a big city. But when we became a one-car house we told ourselves that we wouldn't feel guilty spending on Ubers if the pair of us had a clash in our schedules or a thunderstorm was rolling through. It didn't take a Nobel-winning economist to work out that a few big Uber journeys in rush hour traffic probably still wouldn't come close to what we were spending on insurance, parking and petrol. That was the theory. In practice it's been a comprehensive money-saver. Last year we spent about $300 on Ubers. Compared to the price of buying and running a second car, it's nothing. The hardest thing for me has been when plans change at short notice. One of us is out with the car and the other's waiting at home, but then the first person gets delayed. And even though I know I have to look at the overall spend rather than one-off journeys, catching a $40 Uber when previously we might have driven still feels a bit galling. So, two years on, what's the verdict? Sure, it takes marginally more coordination than it did with two separate vehicles, but if anything, it's honestly been easier than I imagined. I've actually noticed that subconsciously, I often don't even consider taking the car for most of my journeys. The biggest challenge is organising around a clash in our schedules. But there are surprising benefits outside the obvious: I LOVE not having to faff around so much with parking. I'm not saying our set up is right or will work for every household and family. Of course not. You do you. Although, our really good friends are a three-child house in a suburb much further out, and they manage with one car just fine. But not once in the last two-and-a-bit years has either of us doubted the decision. It's cleaner, and even if you don't care about that, it's certainly cheaper. New Zealand still has one of the highest rates of car ownership in the World. I'm convinced it doesn't need to be so.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame, host of Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Labour wants Chris Luxon to tell Winston Peters to back off after the latter had a fiery interview on RNZ this morning - and his threat to cut RNZ's funding off. Was he right? Was it appropriate? New Zealand is pledging more money and support for Ukraine - do we agree with this move? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Beirut's 7th album, Zach Condon returns to a place he had no plans to ever go back to. ‘A Study of Losses' was commissioned by the Swedish circus troupe Kompani Giraff, and at first he was hesitant to write a soundtrack for a circus, the idea a reminder of a time he'd been pigeonholed, as he says, “as a whimsical circus waif”. However, videos of the troupe's performances and an abstract of the work upon which the new project would be based changed his mind. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on Beirut's new album. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ciarán Hinds' acting pursuits have taken him far from his roots in Northern Ireland. A quality actor - he lends himself to both villainy and simmering heroics. His long career has included intimate Shakespearean theatre productions right through to major franchises like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and the Disney animated film Frozen. His latest project ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North' is an intimate character study on human spirit – the Prime Video series based on the novel by Richard Flanagan. He told Jack Tame when he was first introduced to the project, he'd heard of the book but never read it. “They sent me a couple of scripts and I was immediately hooked by the quality of the writing and the story itself,” Hinds said. “So I went out and got myself the book.” “Deeply moved, I was, by the savagery, the cruelty, the brutality, the love, the deep passion, the haunting... it's a huge and hugely emotional read for anybody,” he told Tame. “And from then, I said I'm very interested in this project, and so we went on from there.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pictures made it look like a parody. Eleven minutes after taking off from a West Texas launch site, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space capsule touched down with its all-female celebrity crew. Bezos opened the capsule door and greeted his fiancé. One by one the women filed out, each in their snazzy blue, flared space outfits. Having technically been in space for just four minutes, the popstar Katy Perry knelt down and kissed the ground. I feel the same about space tourism as I do about climbing Mt Everest. In the broadest possible terms, the idea is really appealing. I'd love to go to space! But as it stands today, actually appreciating how much resource is involved, and the extent to which money rather than talent is the only thing separating anyone from the loftiest heights... I can't bear the thought. We all know Jeff Bezos isn't spending billions upon billions to push the boundaries of scientific understanding. He's going as a vanity project. It all feels a bit gross. Perhaps when space tourism is a little more normalised and they can achieve economies of scale, I'll quietly eat my words and find the whole thing a little more palatable. But for what it's worth, I'd hand my explorer-of-the-week award not to Katy Perry and Jeff Bezos' other half, but to the crew of the Schmidt Ocean Institute's Falkor vessel, who just captured the first ever footage of a colossal squid in its natural environment. Colossal squid are the largest invertebrates on the planet – 500kgs without a spine! And yet for all that science has achieved, we know remarkably little about them. It's only a century since the species was first discovered, and we know most of what we know about them today because of their predators. Sperm whales, in turns out, are much better at tracking down colossal squid than we are. 600m below the surface of the South Atlantic, somewhere off the coast of the Antarctic South Sandwich Islands, in an area so remote that the next closest humans were on the International Space Station, the group of scientists used an unmanned submersible to film the most extraordinary footage of a juvenile colossal squid. Forget anything that Katy Perry or Jeff Bezos' wife-to-be might be seeing out the window of their shuttle; set against the absolute black of the deep deep, the squid was purpleish and orange, elegant, brilliantly, beautifully alien. Isn't it amazing that our species can send a rocket with a popstar to space, and yet it's taken us until 2025 to actually record an Earth-based tentacled beast that can grow as long as a bus and weigh as much as a cow? I just think it's such a timely reminder. For whatever fascinations and discoveries await us in the infinite depths of the cosmos, there are still so many miracles and mysteries much closer to home, in the infinite depths of the real blue origin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Thomas Scrimgeour from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Wellington Water has copped backlash over spending significant amounts on wellness-based perks for their employees. What do we make of this? Former Labour leader Andrew Little has announced his intention to run for mayor of Wellington. Is this a good move? Will he get votes? The Maori Party wants Maori to get NZ Super 7-10 years before everyone else and Labour is refusing to say whether it would agree. The Greens are on board with giving some parts of society Super earlier. Is this the best look? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump's tariffs have been wreaking havoc on share markets around the world. As a result, investment funds and KiwiSavers have been taking a hit, with Ed McKnight's own account going down by $6.5k over the last month. He joined Jack Tame to discuss the impacts on Kiwis, and whether people are actually in the right type of fund for their needs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The creativity of Kiwi musicians is being recognised this month. The Taite Music Prize is being awarded next week, the purpose of which is to recognise outstanding creativity for an entire collection of music contained on one album. 80 albums were nominated this year, of which only ten made the cut to be finalists. Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to preview the awards. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over a decade has seen Australian pop-dance royalty The Jungle Giants grow from simple lovers of music to fully-fledged artists on the world stage. They had a massive year last year – playing shows and headlining festivals from hemisphere to hemisphere. And now, they're bringing their energy to New Zealand, with shows in Wellington and Auckland. Frontman Sam Hales told Jack Tame they've been in a band together for about half their lives. “No matter what happens, we know how to support each other, we know how to press each other's buttons,” he said. “And I think it really affects the music as well.” Hales says that having such a supportive band allows him space to experiment. “Even though it was spooky and risky, they we're like, ‘Dude, just do, do whatever feels good. We've got your back.'” “For me, knowing that support network was there, it makes me feel just, free to adventure and experiment, which is a really lucky place to be.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the end it was kind of an anticlimax. After almost 18 months of anger, obfuscation, hīkoi and haka, and hundreds of thousands of submissions, the Treaty Principles Bill was voted down in fairly emphatic style. I suspect the majority of New Zealanders are so over it. Looking back, I'd say David Seymour and ACT largely got what they wanted. Te Pāti Māori were perhaps even greater political beneficiaries. And the whole saga will endure as a bit of a stain on Christopher Luxon's tenure as Prime Minister. It was telling that once again, just as for the first reading, this week's vote was scheduled for a time when the PM wasn't in the house. I think being there and suffering through it would have shown greater leadership. I watched the speeches in Parliament and thought David Seymour was right in his observation. Almost none actually considered the substance of the government's defined Treaty principles. Like most of the debate outside of Parliament, they were all emotion. At times, I think what was supposed to be a constitutional debate was boiled down to pretty a basic and unedifying level: pro-Māori vs anti-Māori! Personally, I tried to engage with the detail of the bill in good faith. I think one of the most underrated qualities in people is a genuine capacity to think critically or even change your mind. It's a curiously strange thing these days to come across someone who doesn't instantly default to their team or side. It seemed to me though that there was a fundamental problem with proposed principles. They didn't accurately reflect what the Treaty actually says. Te Tiriti specifically guarantees Māori tino rangatiratanga. It has, if you like, a Māori-specific carve-out that did not appear in ACT's interpretation. In my view, that absence was absolutely critical. Many of the bill's opponents accused ACT of a cynical approach to the debate. I can't speak for the party's motivations, but I do think the most honest approach would have been to define the principles by what is clearly said in the Treaty, rather than what anyone thinks should be said in the Treaty. And that leads me to my final point: the Treaty is clearly an imperfect document. The English and Māori versions say different things. There is no returning New Zealand to 1840, and in the context of the modern day, it's clunky. I do think David Seymour's broader desire about more purposefully defining the Treaty's application and meaning in modern New Zealand, is a good one (or at least worthy of more consideration). For example, I wonder if 200 years from its signing, New Zealand should aspire towards developing some sort of a written constitution underpinned by the Treaty, that gives it better and clearer effect in the modern World. I think the Te Tiriti o Waitangi / Treaty of Waitangi was meant to unify New Zealand. If we're honest, this debate probably had the opposite effect. But I still have faith that once the dust settles, we can collectively find a way to constructively have these conversations and move Aotearoa forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and Jack Tame from Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Reserve Bank has cut the OCR, and Labour is advocating for Government to step up and do its bit by spending more. Is there really a case for this? UOA researchers found that higher EV uptake has actually been linked to increased emissions - because we're still using energy to charge them. What do we make of this? Benjamin Doyle has explained that they only ever referred to themselves when using the word 'bussy'. They're not going anywhere - but they've voiced disapproval with the hate and threats. Is this the end of the whole saga? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was Murphy's Law, of course. An inevitable that'll-teach-ya for breaking one of the golden laws of parenting: never take off a nappy if you don't have a replacement immediately to hand. Especially when your six-week-old baby has been stewing and straining and writhing in his cot. And double-especially (that's a thing) when he just had the live rotavirus vaccine and it's playing havoc with his belly. It was just as I bent his legs up and put a little squeeze on his stomach that I sensed it. Something in the air. A drop in barometric pressure. A little facial expression, perhaps. It might have been 2am but I threw myself back and across the room, out of the line of fire. It was like that scene in The Matrix, where time stops and Neo dodges bullets. You know in a horror movie when someone has their throat slit, and the blood sprays on the wall? It's a pattern, an arc, a kind of parabola of crimson gore. It was like that. Except yellow. An explosion of you-know-what was in his tummy one second, and literally dripping down the wall the next. And the bin. And on the laundry basket, the exposed floorboards and the corner of the chunky woolknit carpet. Somehow, he got it through the crack of the door to my wardrobe, a patina of tiny little specks down on my shoes. The distance he covered was unbelievable. I actually pulled out a tape measure the next morning... from the change table to the wall was 90-odd centimetres: twice his height. In relative terms, it's as if I pulled, twisted, and strained and pulled up my legs and propelled my last meal across three and a half metres of open territory. Guiness World Records, give us a call! I hosed him down, delivered him to his mum, fetched the disinfectant and started scrubbing the walls. The next morning, I put him on the change table again. This time he wasn't squirming. His tummy was a bit more settled. As I re-dressed him and pulled on his onesie, I sang to my son, and he stared up into my eyes. “It's our problem freeeee,” I sang. His face changed just a little as he cooed... was that a smile? “Philosophyyyyy,” he squealed. “Hakuna Matata,” his little mouth broke out in a giant smile. No question. An unmistakable smile. His whole face, his whole body seemed to smile with him. Just for me. I felt my chest flood with endorphins. It was the craziest physical reaction, just this rush, this sweep of joy and love. It said it all, really. Dripping walls one days and his first smiles for Dad the next. Welcome to parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been a fair few changes in the electric vehicle market in the past few years, but when it comes to actually using one, how do they fare? Kate Hall has just finished up a two month trip around New Zealand – driven entirely in an electric car. She joined Jack Tame to recap the experience, and answer a few questions about the logistics of the trip. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The great Swiss city of Zurich is one of the more picturesque, pixel-burning European gateway destinations. Within minutes of exiting Zurich Airport, armed with my trusty Eurail Pass, I was blissfully whizzing into the city centre on a 10 minute train ride. Strolling across the cobbles of this time-honoured city in the crisp spring air, there's so much urban eye-candy to lift the spirit. I sized up the largest clock face in Europe, on the edge of the Limmat River. It's bigger than Big Ben. Riding the skyline, the historic tower of St Peter Church is imbued with a trusty timepiece, as are the oh-so punctual church bells that loudly reverberate across the Old Town from the four historic churches, including mighty Grossmunster Cathedral. No wonder everything runs to time in Switzerland. According to legend, Zurich's 13th-century landmark cathedral was founded by Charlemagne, built on the graves of the city's patron saints, Felix and Regula. It was also the starting place of the Protestant Reformation in Zurich. Culture is writ large in Zurich's Old Town, where the narrow-cobbled streets gave rise to the Dada art movement just over a century ago. I popped into Cabaret Voltaire, at Spiegelgasse 1, which was the birthplace of Dada and the avant-garde artistic movement in 1916. Absinthe is the drink of choice here, among Dada's ghosts. Strolling along Bahnhofstrasse, flanked by chic designer boutiques and swanky department stores, Café Sprungli deserves a pit-stop. This prized Zurich institution is rightly lauded for its heavenly macaroons and hand-crafted chocolates. They are like exquisite works of art – as were the Easter chocolate displays. It's like a bespoke art gallery in chocolate. Don't mind if I do. Further down the street, if feeling a little decadent, make a date with Teuscher for its famed champagne truffles. In a city of water and stone bridges, a top vantage point to survey the elemental landscape, above the twisting lanes of the Old Town, is the Lindenhof. This was the site of a former Roman customs house and fourth-century fort, perched above the water. Alongside soaking up the city vistas, this elevated park with its Linden trees and giant chess sets is the pitch-perfect spot for a cheeky picnic. The vast assortment of guildhalls is core to Zurich's backstory, and they're great fun to explore. In 1336, Zurich's first independent mayor, Rudolf Brun, established the guild laws, effectively shifting power from the abbeys to the merchant nobility. The handsome guildhalls, with all their intricate decorative features, lend themselves to a leisurely inspection. I started at the bakers' guild, in Oberdorfstrasse, before heading over the river's east bank to Niederdorf, to admire the guilds of the carpenters, builders, the food and wine dealers, the textiles and spice merchants, all along Limmatquai. Then, on Munsterhof, you've got mansions of the weavers, saddlemakers, painters and winemakers. In German-speaking Zurich, the street food tradition of wurst remains wildly popular – particularly for lunch. In the Old Town, tuck into some great sausage at Wursteria by Hinz and Kunz. This part-butcher shop and part deli serves up super spicy bratwurst in a fluffy bun. So good! As its name suggests, Cafe Conditorei 1842, on Napfgasse, is an old-school establishment, chock-full of sweet indulgence. Spanning four floors, food lovers can enjoy patisserie, cakes and hot drinking chocolate – they claim to be Zurich's best. On the ground floor of this historic confectioner's store, impressively decorated in neo-baroque style, you'll struggle to find a finer array of patisserie, cakes and tarts. I could have stayed there all day. And yes – the steaming mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream was magnificent. Speaking of chocolate, the Lindt and Sprungli factory has called Zurich home, since 1899. Seven years in the making, Lindt Home of Chocolate, was designed to complement the historic building and serve as a beacon to chocolate lovers everywhere. From cultivation to production, the interactive museum does a sterling job telling the story of Swiss chocolate making, not only about Lindt, but its predecessors. While the maze of white, milk, and dark chocolates is impressive, the Lindt Home of Chocolate also boasts another record: the world's largest chocolate fountain. Standing at about 30 feet tall, even Willy Wonka would be impressed by this show-stopper. Zurich is home to FIFA's world headquarters and in a bid to stop pesky football fans from loitering in the lobby, the FIFA Museum was created nine years ago, in the heart of town. Spread over three floors and loaded with interactive exhibitions, the FIFA Museum examines all aspects of the global game and how it passionately stirs people's emotions. Football is the great equaliser. Along with the original FIFA World Cup Trophy, the museum displays over 1,000 items of exclusive memorabilia and apparel, including the national shirts of all FIFA member associations. The original trophy, which features a gold statuette of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, holding a cup, was permanently awarded to Brazil after they won the cup for the third time, in 1970. The current trophy contains 5kg of pure gold and its estimated value is over NZ$30m. A highlight amongst the interactive games gallery is the gigantic pinball machine, where you can test your own ball kicking skills. With the next World Cup just a year away and featuring the All Whites for just the third time, add this museum to your check-list. Creating quite a buzz in recent years, Zurich-West has been spectacularly transformed from a once scruffy industrial district. Emerging as a vibrant cultural quarter of trendy eateries and edgy art, factories have been repurposed as theatres and shipyards reimagined as art galleries. Viadukt is an exemplary example of the makeover, with a host of eateries, pop-up shops and art spaces housed inside the arches of the disused, 550-feet long railway viaduct. You'll also find Prime Tower here, a 35-storey skyscraper (Switzerland's tallest), serving up a panoramic treat across Zurich's rooftops, gleaming lake and snow-coated peaks beyond. Take in the sweeping scenery over a drink or two at Clouds Bar – and salute your return to Europe. The locals are very proud of the city's brilliant and bizarre festivals. In August Zurich hosts Street Parade, one of Europe's biggest celebrations of peace, love and electronic music, attended by millions of people. In a couple of weeks, the city grinds to a halt for Seschselauten. This annual April spectacle involves setting on fire a giant straw snowman called the Boogg. The time it takes for the Boogg's head to explode indicates whether it will be a good summer, apparently. The word is Zurich is in for a long, warm summer. Perfectly poised overlooking Paradeplatz, the city's most prestigious address, the Mandarin Oriental Savoy Hotel offers a stylish stay to remember, when in Zurich. Just steps from the city's iconic shopping sweep of Bahnhofstrasse, it's been just over a year since the Mandarin Oriental revitalised what has been Zurich's oldest grand hotel, reaching back to 1838. Elegantly and artfully refreshed, with a boutique hotel vibe, the 80 impeccably redesigned rooms and suites raise the bar on luxury and indulgence. There's four distinctive dining venues including the Michelin-starred Orsini, where the Italian fine dining experience is helmed by acclaimed two-Michelin starred Italian Consultant Chef Antonio Guida. Then there's 1838, the effervescent rooftop bar with its spell-binding panoramic vistas of the city, lake and serrated Swiss Alps. Plus Savoy Brasserie & Bar is a sure-bet for a stupendous breakfast, with an delightfully presented buffet selection, in addition to a la carte menu items. Accommodations take their design cues from the natural palette of Zurich, headlined by the artisanal hand-painted silk wallpapers, inspired by the aqua green and blue hues of the lake and sky, to the mist of the surrounding mountains. Meticulously crafted design elements and materials adorn the rooms. Accents of colour are also reflected in custom furniture and carpets. Principal materials include walnut as a common thread, touches of bronze and brass and enamelled lava together with the comfort of luxurious textiles. Throughout the hotel, I loved admiring the multitude of sculptural lighting fixtures and lamps. I stayed in the Munsterhof Suite, accentuating the sumptuous sense of comfort, glamour and space, loaded with indulgent touches. There's a personal cocktail bar, built-in headboards, sublime marble-clad bathrooms and expansive walk-in dressing areas. As is the case with all Mandarin Oriental properties, you'll soon get a sense of the strong local connection the hotel has with the city. Local artists are proudly showcased with numerous pieces of art to admire, throughout the hotel. Grab a peek at the storied meeting room on the second floor, which is still home to the Guild of Tanners and Shoemakers. These traditional Swiss craftsmen have been meeting here for over a century. Service personifies whip-smart Swiss efficiency and the charismatic staff are highly personable, outgoing and engaging. You'll struggle to find fault with this gorgeous hotel which has mastered the art of fusing contemporary comforts with timeless opulence and celebrating a deep respect for history, tradition and proud sense of place. www.mandarinoriental.com Grab a ticket to ride on the European railway network with a Eurail Pass. For over 65 years, Eurail Passes have enabled flexible borderless rail travel across Europe. 7000 Kiwis purchased such a pass last year, which gives you access to 30,000 destinations across 33 countries, allowing you to chart your own amazing rail adventure. On popular rail routes, it certainly pays to make a seat reservation in advance. Lock in your rail plans ahead of your trip, by booking tickets or a rail pass to suit with Eurail direct. The mobile pass is the way to go. The Eurail app is easy to navigate, packed with helpful information and benefits, network disruption notifications, and enabling you to check timetables, lock in bookings and seat reservations on the go, via your mobile. www.eurail.com Fly to Zurich with Cathay Pacific who operate ultra-contemporary A350-1000s, from Auckland via Hong Kong. The cabin air quality is decidedly better, the aircraft are noticeably quieter and I experienced minimal jet-lag. The extensive CX Entertainment system kept me suitably engaged with excellent movie and box-set selections, live news channels - all in vivid 4K, plus in-flight WiFi is available. www.cathaypacific.com Mike Yardley is our resident traveller and can be heard every Saturday with Jack Tame on Newstalk ZB. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of New Zealand's finest voices, Marlon Williams has released his fourth studio album – written entirely in te reo Māori. The Kiwi musician has a global presence, having collaborated with the likes of Florence + the Machine, and toured with legends like Bruce Springsteen, bagging six NZ Music Awards and an APRA silver scroll. But for ‘Te Whare Tīwekaweka', Williams returned to his roots. Translating to ‘Messy House', Williams told Jack Tame the title is a metaphor for the pains of chaos and creation, and how creativity often comes from disorder. “You have a house full of, of ideas, and, and you sort of sit quietly and let them talk to each other, and then hopefully they form some sort of cohesive thing.” The idea of writing an album entirely in te reo has been floating around Williams' brain for a while, he was just waiting for an excuse to begin. “I grew up speaking a little bit,” he told Tame. “I went to Kōhanga Reo, but it all sort of drifted away from me again as I went into my, moved on into childhood, into primary school.” Although he drifted away from speaking the language, Williams didn't stop singing in te reo. “It's just such a, a beautifully, a beautifully sung language.” “I always knew at some point that I was gonna come back around and, and give myself an excuse." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.