The Weekend for Sunday 7 January 2024

 

08:12 Performance coach Owen Eastwood: Start the year with intent

Owen Eastwood is a high performance coach best known for his work with professional sports teams including the England Football team, and GB Olympics squad. But he's not limited to sports, he's also coached NATO chiefs of staff, film studios and silicon valley companies. Most recently his focus has been golf, and the european Ryder Cup squad, and it clearly worked - in October they beat out team USA to take home the trophy.

His philosophy, influenced by his Ngāi Tahu roots focuses on the importance of whakapapa and a creating a sense of belonging. He leans heavily on storytelling to encourage athletes and teams to see themselves as part of something bigger.

Owen joins Susana Lei'ataua from his home in the Cotswalds.

 

8:40 Frances Cook: What to know for your money in 2024

Now that the festivities are behind us, many New Zealanders will be taking a cautious look at their bank balance and experiencing a post-Christmas comedown. 

Here to help reset our finances and give us an outlook for 2024 is Business Desk investments editor and financial educator Frances Cook.

9:05 Naomi Arnold: Phoning in from Te Araroa trail

Te Araroa is a 3000 km trail that runs the length of New Zealand - from the signposts at Cape Reinga to the signposts in the small town of Bluff. 

Nelson journalist and author Naomi Arnold set off a week ago from Stirling Point in Bluff - the Southernmost tip of New Zealand. 

It's just Naomi, her pack, and a sturdy pair of boots. And us. We are phoning Naomi every week to check in and hitch a ride on one of the hardest hikes in the world. 

9:30 Simon Smuts Kennedy: Hill's Hats hanging on after 150 years

Hat maker to the stars, Hill's Hats in Petone is gearing up to celebrate it's 150th anniversary next year. That's a huge achievement for any business, especially one in the manufacturing sector, but it's not all peachy in Petone... 

Hills is facing increased competition from overseas. Recently several key clients including Defence have shifted their hat orders away from Hills, instead signing contracts with offshore manufacturers. The result of this pressure is that Hills have also started importing hats made in China, and selling them under their Eskay brand.

Hills Hats Owner Simon Smuts-Kennedy tell us more about what's going on in the Hat industry, and how Hatman - a character in a gold mask, cape and captains hat has been helping them to secure export orders.

09:45 Quiz master Jack Waley-Cohen sets some tricky puzzles

Jack Waley-Cohen is the question master behind the BBC's fiendishly difficult quiz shows Only Connect, Countdown & The Weakest Link.

This summer he just happened to be in New Zealand, driving around our beautiful country. It was an opportunity too good to pass up, so we asked him to join us for the next three weeks to set some Sunday morning puzzles.

10:05 Sunday History Hit with Thomas Rillstone

Thomas Rillstone, host of the award winning History of Aotearoa New Zealand Podcast, joins Susana Lei'ataua for the first in a three part series of 'Sunday History Hits'. Across the three instalments we are going to delve into some of Aotearoa's quirky, eccentric and less well known characters. 

Today Thomas looks at Baron Charles Philippe Hippolyte de Thierry and explains how his attempt to invade New Zealand indirectly led to the Treaty of Waitangi.

 

10:35 Smokin' Croydon Cole shares his top BBQ tips

Barbecue season is officially on. To help you level up your summer grilling sessions private-chef-turned-barbecue-maestro Croydon Cole Joins Susana Lei'ataua on The Weekend.

Croydon is the owner & "pit master" behind Grey Lynn restaurant Smokin' Coles American BBQ, which he opened in 2019. He gives advice on how to thrown the perfect barbecue and answers your burning barbecue questions. He was also kind enough to share a couple of recipes with us. Something simple, tasty and delicious. 

11:05 Simon Grigg's picks from 50 years of New Zealand music

Simon Grigg has been a key music industry figure for the last fifty years - most well known as the man who's record label Huh! brought the world the OMC mega hit "How Bizarre!". That's not where his story starts though. In the early 1970's he formed Suburban Reptiles - Aotearoa New Zealand's first Punk band. Later returning after a stint in London he opened seminal Auckland clubs, Box & Cause Celebre, and produced Aotearoa's first House record. 

Simon takes us on a tour of his 50 years in the music industry with records from: Blam Blam Blam, The Spelling Mistakes, OMC, Jam This Record, Mara TK, The Circling Sun

11:40 Spirit festival founder Franko Heke: The rise of sober partying

Over the last couple of years there has been a growing trend towards cutting down - or even totally eliminating - alcohol. Eighteen months ago Garage Project launched it's first alcohol free beer 'Tiny'. It's gone on to become the Wellington brewery's highest selling product. The same is true of 'Virtual Reality' the alcohol free offering from Hamilton's Good George brewery.

But booze is still ingrained in our culture, particularly around celebrations. For many of us New Years eve is about champagne at midnight, and summer BBQs conjure up images of chilly bins laden with beers, but it doesn't have to be that way. Franko Heke has been running alcohol free parties for almost a decade. Over that time they've grown from niche events to huge festivals attended by thousands of people.

Franko joins Susana Lei'ataua in the studio to share his journey and discuss the rise of the sober celebration.