Kiwi Yarns
Welcome to Kiwi Yarns - those yarns you have where you sit down, put the kettle on, pour a whiskey or crack open a beer I honestly don‘t mind. Anyway! We‘re sitting down and we’re yarning to some great New Zealanders, their back stories, their front stories, even stories where they went sideways, we will go there. It’s a place where we celebrate the great people of this glorious nation.
Episodes
Today’s guest has a job that, on the surface, many would describe as a "dream job" and say, "oh, how lucky!"
While there’s no denying that the titles “travel blogger,” “travel writer,” and “travel photographer” have a certain allure, Abigail Hannah’s backstory is truly fascinating.
Born in Aotearoa, Abigail spent most of her childhood growing up in rural India, a place that felt like home. She later returned to New Zealand alone to...
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He holds the record for the highest ever ODI score for New Zealand, and over a 13-year international career, he represented his country in 367 matches. He is also New Zealand’s all-time leading T20 run-scorer.
Yet Martin Guptill reveals that he had little say in how his international career ended - it was almost as if he was “ghosted” by New Zealand Cricket.
Now, he's taking time to process and reflect on what was a remarkable care...
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April 13, 2025 • 51 mins
Rebecca Gibney is everything I’d hoped she’d be – and more.
If I say Packed to the Rafters, Halifax f.p., The Flying Doctors, Sensing Murder – you say Rebecca Gibney.
Rebecca Gibney – and I don’t think you can refer to her by just her first name – has been a fixture in film and television for over 40 years, working across both Aotearoa and Australia.
And while she celebrated her 60th birthday last year – making it clear that her fo...
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I've known Ali Mau for 13 years. We first met when I started working as a producer on Q+A at TVNZ, and she was the host of Fair Go.
She took me under her wing, taught me how to do piece-to-cameras, and has been a mentor and dear friend ever since.
Like many others, I did not know about the abuse she had suffered as a child until I read her book.
It is confronting and brave, and by the end, it hit me in both the gut and the heart.
B...
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Samantha Hayes was just 23 when she became the presenter of Nightline - the country's youngest presenter at the time.
Since then, she has cage-dived with sharks without the main part of the cage (wild), brought the Mongrel Mob and Black Power together for an interview for the first time, and been in most Kiwis’ living rooms as co-anchor alongside Mike McRoberts on ThreeNews.
2024 was tumultuous, to say the least, for Sam. She was d...
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Today’s guest is Silver Fern number 151, Courtney Tairi.
The former netball international and award-winning broadcaster was born and raised in Sydney, but, in her own words, her whānau and blood are Kiwi. Tainui is her tribe, Waikato is her river, Maungatautari is her mountain, and her subtribe is Ngāti Korokī/Kahukura.
Courtney has just left Sky Sport after ten years, stepping out on her own as an independent wahine in media.
She ...
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March 23, 2025 • 59 mins
Today’s guest works in a space that, I’ll admit, I am not remotely close to being an expert on.
But when I heard Charlotte Hill, founder of True North, speak at a women’s event late last year, I was intrigued enough to open my mind and learn more. And what better way to do that than right here on Kiwi Yarns!
Human Design claims to provide insights into energy dynamics, decision-making, and life purpose, with the goal of helping peo...
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Mike and Joelle Legg have over a million followers on every social platform they’re on and are loved worldwide for their funny, relatable marriage content.
They met at a flat viewing 19 years ago, have two boys, and recently swapped the hustle of Tāmaki Makaurau for a quieter life in Whangamatā.
Joelle opens up about her experience with postpartum depression and the vital support Mike provided, while Mike reflects on his transition...
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Artist, illustrator, and designer Dick Frizzell is one of New Zealand’s most recognisable artists, with a ginormous back catalogue (I don’t know if you call it that in the art world) of famous works spanning pop art, stunning landscapes, commercial illustrations, and even school journals.
We explore all things art, from Dick's journey to finding his place in New Zealand’s art scene to his soon-to-be-released book, Hastings: A Boy’s...
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Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester are two brilliantly talented comedians, actors, and writers. They’re also close friends who have just bared their souls in a new TV show all about being single.
The Billy T Award winners travelled up and down the motu in search of love, delivering plenty of laughs along the way. But Bryn and Ku’s Singles Club also reveals a rarely seen, more personal side of both of them.
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Today’s guest is triple gold medal-winning Paralympian Anna Grimaldi, fresh off a Halberg Award win and delivering one of the best speeches of the night.
The personal milestones Anna has achieved since becoming a para athlete are nothing short of remarkable. While we often focus on sporting achievements, it’s equally fascinating to look beyond the results and gain insight into the person behind the headlines.
This is a compelling, ...
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Richard Adams is a former British Army officer who served in Afghanistan. He shares how his experiences there moved him to establish Taskforce Kiwi, a disaster relief charity made up of Defence Force veterans and former emergency service workers.
The organisation provides crucial support to communities, offering assistance during and after natural disasters—which, as we know, are becoming all too frequent.
His incredible mahi has e...
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February 9, 2025 • 49 mins
Now, full disclosure—today’s guest is an Australian. But before you hit skip, this Australian has played a monumental role in bringing some of the biggest events the country has seen to our largest sporting stadium, creating lifelong memories for hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders. Therefore, he gets a crack!
Nick Sautner is the Chief Executive of Eden Park and during his time there, he has - in my opinion - made the stadium c...
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February 2, 2025 • 63 mins
A fascinating chat this week with Dr Waseem Alzaher, the founder of Cannabis Clinic - the country's largest prescriber of medicinal cannabis.
The 36-year-old moved to New Zealand from Iraq when he was seven. While he admits to having had a challenging start to his medical career, grappling with his identity and purpose, he has now found his path, playing an integral role in the rapidly growing field of alternative therapy for Kiwis...
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If this episode doesn't get you even a little bit inspired or fired up, I'll give you your money back!
Ganesh Raj graces our TV screens with the hit show Eat Well for Less, and it's there where his passion for food education grew.
Now, this top chef dedicates a massive chunk of his life to ensuring as many people as possible have access to good food for their dinner tables.
Ganesh says the first 12 years of your life shape your foo...
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January 19, 2025 • 66 mins
It’s the first episode of the year and I thought we’d come in really hot!
Today's guest is certified holistic sex and relationship coach and educator, Melissa Vranjes.
Melissa loves to empower women, encouraging us to embrace our sexuality, and it doesn't necessarily start (or finish) in the bedroom. What I love about people like Melissa is she puts herself out there in a space (ie sex) that we are still relatively new to talking s...
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January 12, 2025 • 55 mins
Today we re-visit my yarn with a NATIONAL TREASURE.
Sure, Suzanne Paul was born in England but she is our official infomercial queen. But it’s not just thousands of luminous spheres that make us all love her - her dogged determination and work ethic through every part of her career is so inspirational. Gosh, talk about someone who never ever ever gives up! She's remarkable!
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January 5, 2025 • 51 mins
Today we re-visit my yarn with the first comedian I ever saw live and rest assured she’s been a favourite ever since!
The award-winning Justine Smith took her first gig as a dare - and to sound cliché the rest is history. But, as you'll hear, the rest took time, patience and bloody hard work. She won the Billy T Award in 2003, and has been the winner of the Award for Best Female Performer from the NZ Comedy Guild an incredible four...
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December 29, 2024 • 59 mins
Today we re-visit a yarn I had with a man, I feel like it’s fair to say, we all know and love - Sir John Kirwan.
JK had a remarkable rugby career as a World Cup winning All Black, played rugby league for the Auckland Warriors, has been a respected international coach, and of course is a major figure in Aotearoa as a mental health advocate. Being one of the first high profile New Zealanders, to talk about depression and mental healt...
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December 22, 2024 • 64 mins
I am absolutely fizzing at the bung to bring you our last guest for 2024!
It’s Christmas week, so we are so lucky to have the absolute kitchen QUEEN, Allyson Gofton, here to send us all on our merry way.
She hosted the best 60 seconds of television we used to have, Food in a Minute (campaign to bring it back), and the nostalgia in this chat is all there.
I was so excited to meet Allyson and to hear about her amazing career, her jou...
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