Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Charli XCX’s seventh studio album, Music, Fashion, Film, released on July 24, 2026. The album cover, shot by Aidan Zamiri, features three cultural icons: John Cale, Marc Jacobs, and Martin Scorsese.
Release & Tracklist

The highly anticipated follow-up to Brat is already being teased as a significant shift in style, leaning into an eclectic, crossover sound rather than pure electro-pop.
The album includes previously released singles such as "Rock Music" and "SS26". The full tracklist includes:
Rock Music
SS26
Card Declined
Camera
2007
I'm Afraid
Yeah
Wink Wink
Persona
Magic Metal Montana
No One Lasts Forever (featuring David Cronenberg)
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The Weekend by T.M Logan
When a group of friends rent a converted farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales, they have little idea that this one weekend may change the course of their lives forever. While out on a walk, a storm descends & the friends take shelter in the mouth of an old lead mine.
A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz
The Word is Murder, the first book in the Hawthorne series, is being made into a major feature film. The actors have been cast, the script written, and filming has already started in Hastings.
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Touted as one of the most beautiful places in the world, there really is something special about Banff. Combining the striking stature of the Rockies with the snug, quaint charms of small-town Canada, it’s the sheer splendour of accessible and abundant wilderness that casts you under its spell. Just as visitors to Sedona routinely talk about “the healing energy” that seeps from its stones, Banff also brags about its revitalising powers. It’s widely considered as a sacred place, ever since indigenous people were drawn to the region thousands of years ago, taking to the healing waters of the natural hot springs and gathering various plants for medicinal purposes.
It was First Nations guides who introduced Europeans to the area in the 1800s, and by the 1880s the natural hot springs on Sulphur Mountain were a wildly popular Victorian tourist attraction. It was the railway that opened Banff’s treasures to the world. Mercifully, the Canadian government had the vision and wisdom to safeguard nature’s riches by creating Canada’s first national park in 1885, Banff National Park.
They run a very tight ship in this town. To live in Banff, you must be an eligible resident. This generally means your primary daily employment must be located within the Banff National Park boundaries. The permanent population is only 9000. There are no vacation homes. Buying property for holiday use or weekend getaways is strictly prohibited. Even if you own property, you must actively work in the park or rent it to someone who does. Similarly, residential property cannot be used for short-term rentals (like Airbnb) unless the property is owner-occupied and licensed specifically as a Bed and Breakfast. Perhaps some over-crowded but underpopulated New Zealand tourist towns should consider this model, like Tekapo. The main artery of Banff Ave is a swanky tourist mecca, lined with lodge-like hotels, many built in Rocky Mountain style, with the accent on lodgepole pines, limestone, and steeply pitched roofs. I love how all the side streets are named after local animals. I even saw roaming elk prancing down Elk Street.

The best time to visit Banff depends on whether you snow-dappled vistas, wildflowers or larch season. I suggest the spring months are best, with show-mopped peaks and thinner crowds. Wildflower season runs from July to August, but it’s chocka with visitors taking advantage of the warm weather for high-alpine hiking. “Larch madness” is a short, specific window from mid-September to early October, when the larch tree needles turn a brilliant gold. The beautiful natural display draws dense crowds to popular trails like Larch Valley.
After alighting from two ravishing days aboard the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver, it fast became apparent that my short time in this mountain oasis would not be enough to do full justice to its surrounding wonders. But here’s a round-up on some tried-and-true must dos.
For the view of views, do not leave town before you have taken a ride to the rooftop of Sulphur Mountain, on the Banff Gondola. The eight-minute ride to the summit of 7,486-foot mountain delivers a horizon-wide alpine panorama. Six distinct mountain ranges unfurl their grandeur before you, along with the Bow River Valley and the town of Banff itself. Beyond the top station, the boardwalk trail climbs even higher, leading you to Sanson Peak. Alongside savouring the snow-flecked scenery in the heart of the Rockies, I was also intrigued by the remnants of the Cosmic Ray Station, perched on top of Sulphur Mountain. This throwback to the 1950s became Canada’s most important cosmic ray observatory, contributing to our understanding of how the sun effects the earth’s environment.

Needless to say, even in summer the mountaintop temps can be chilly. If you need a warm-up, just below the gondola base station, Banff Upper Hot Springs will put some pep in your step. Discovered by Canada's First Nations people, they’ve been regarded as sacred waters for centuries, rich in minerals like sulfate, calcium, bicarbonate, magnesium and sodium. Give yourself a therapeutic soak in the toasty waters, that average 39C, gazing at the sprawling heft of Mount Rundle.
Savour some solitude on an easy, in-town hike, just off the downtown thoroughfare of Banff Ave. The Bow River Trail follows the north shore, while the Bow Falls Trail hugs the south side. The south shore is particularly scenic if you head east to the Bow Falls Viewpoint. It's also a dreamy spot for a photo of the waterfall and the “Castle in the Rockies”, the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel.

Waterfall hikes top the list of things to do in Banff any time of year. Johnston Canyon is a cracker, close to town and easy. The walkway is attached directly to the canyon walls. It takes you right to the thunderously noisy Lower Falls and then up to the taller Upper Falls. In winter, the canyon completely transforms as the waterfalls freeze into massive blue ice pillars. You’ll need ice cleats to strike out on the ice walk.
Good eats? In the heart of Banff town, in Bear St, Bison is the go-to for "Rocky Mountain comfort food," with an emphasis on slow cooking. As the name suggests, it's a great place to try bison dishes—bison tartar and slow-cooked braised bison short rib are signature dishes—but there's also Wild British Columbia halibut, wood-fired duck, and Alberta beef striploin.
Sunday brunch buffet is a celebrated pastime at the Fairmont Banff Springs, the iconic “Castle in the Rockies.” The setting is postcard perfect - exactly why the Banff Springs Hotel was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway company in 1888 to woo the world to the rugged Rockies. Make a brunch booking at The Vermillion Room to nosh on signature dishes like smoked Wild Pacific salmon and slow-roasted Alberta beef. Be sure to add a side of maple brownies.
Banff has a soft-spot for fondue, a hangover from the hordes of Swiss guides who were recruited over a century ago to spirit visitors through the Rockies. If you’re up for fondue with a difference, head to the Grizzly House. Nearly 60 years old, it’s a dining experience that’s hands-on, unconventional, and uniquely Banff. Hot rock meat is served raw and cooked at your table. Alongside prime cuts of Alberta beef and fresh seafood, you’ll find wild game and exotic meats including ostrich, elk, bison, frogs legs, alligator and rattlesnake. Like the classic Swiss cheese and chocolate fondues, they’re all designed for sharing.
Across the Banff area, a sequence of jewel-like lakes are the stars of the show, tinted a dazzling turquoise hue due to the presence of glacial flour (ground up rock particles). The dazzling Moraine Lake, Abraham Lake, Lake Minnewanka and Lake Louise are the best in show. Hike the Lake Agnes Tea House trail through gorgeous old-growth forest which does indeed bring you to a quaint old tea house on top of a mountain, just north of Lake Louise. Built as a refuge for hikers, it started serving tea in 1905, and still does today. Their hearty homemade soups, will hit the spot, too!

Just off the Trans-Canada Highway close to the town of Banff, soak up the tranquil Vermilion Lakes, a network of marshlands and lakes. The lakes have wonderful views of jagged Mount Rundle, the town's signature peak. It’s an awesome spot for picnicking, paddling, relaxing, and reflection photography. Grab a rental bike from town and pedal your way around this soothing slice of solitude.
I didn’t have time to explore the Icefields Parkway on this trip, but I will be back to do it. Many fellow travellers in Banff were raving about this 230km-long drive, connecting Banff National Park with Jasper National Park. Powerfully rugged mountain scenery, glaciers galore, and a gob full of wildlife including moose, wolves, bighorn sheep and grizzly bears: the Icefields Parkway comes highly recommended. A hotel guest remarked to me that it felt like the road had been carved inside the earth, with massive mountains clinging to the Continental Divide.
If you’re up for some cultural dabbling, check out the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Founded by the late Peter and Catharine Whyte, two Banff artists, the museum exhibits artworks and artifacts relating to the cultural heritage of the Rockies. Many of the earliest photos of Banff National Park can be found here, and the gallery of prized landscape paintings are sublime.
Where to stay? One of the newest offerings in Banff is the Otter Hotel, delivering a winning blend of comfort and nature. This four-star mountain luxury hideaway is in the uptown district, on Banff Avenue. It’s conveniently close to the bustle of downtown – just a ten minute walk away, but you’re also blissfully removed from the tourist throb, tucked away in a calming forest setting. That’s what Otter Hotel really excels in providing, a calmer escape, wrapped in nature’s splendour. It’s nailed the sweet spot, basking in the charm of Banff at a relaxed pace. You’ll definitely want to dine on-site at one of Banff’s newest upscale culinary destinations, Good Folk. Refined Canadian flavours and an intimate ambiance are to the fore, with exquisitely prepared dishes like bison burgers, Alberta wild boar chop, King Cole duck breast and Icelandic Arctic char. Their creative cocktails are a masterclass in wizardly mixology.

The hotel’s thoughtfully designed rooms feature contemporary comforts, elevated finishes, and inviting spaces to relax after an intrepid day out exploring. Surrounded by towering lodgepole pines and framed by sweeping Rocky Mountain views, nothing beats unwinding in the rooftop hot pools or lounging around the outdoor fire pits, drinking in the dreamy views of Cascade Mountain right in front of you. It’s an elevated oasis of hospitality. All hotel guests also receive a complimentary ROAM transit pass, which is like a hop-on, hop-off bus, zipping you around all of Banff’s top sites, with a high frequency schedule. otterhotel.com

After soaking up the best of Banff, Calgary Airport is just a 90 minute ride away and Banff Airporter is the trusted ground transportation provider, with a comprehensive shuttle schedule. Highly-rated for their convenience, comfort and reliability, Banff Airporter operates a year-round, stress-free shuttle service to and from Calgary Airport and the mountains. For over 28 years, this locally owned and operated company has provided a dependable link, between the heart of the Rockies and the airport. Just sit back, relax and gorge on the scenery, as you pass by the serrated peaks spanning south of Banff, like the gorgeous Three Sisters, before the mountains give way to the rolling prairies surrounding Calgary. banffairporter.com
Mike Yardley is Newstalk ZB’s resident traveller and can be heard each week on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame.
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I’ve just returned from time in Europe and noted, with some sense of shame, my lack of bilingual-ness. Others seem to pick up new languages relatively easy. What’s behind this frustrating (at least for me!) phenomenon?
We already know that learning more than one language as a child puts you at an advantage for learning other languages as an adult.
Also know that there are some specific parts of the brain (e.g., the Broca’s area) that play a big role in learning languages.
However, new research shows that it might actually be different areas of the brain and different types of skills, not just language skills, that help adults pick up a new language.
Researchers followed a group of people trying to learn a new language - to avoid any effect of having picked up bits of language over time which might make learning easier, the researchers got people to learn a completely made-up language called Brocanto2.
Brocanto2 is an artificial language created by language-learning researchers to study how adults learn a new language under controlled laboratory conditions. It is not a naturally spoken language. Instead, it was designed to have enough vocabulary and grammar to resemble a real second language while remaining small enough to be learned in experiment. It refers to pieces and moves of a chess-like game to construct the language. You can only use the language to describe activities within the game so can’t literally translate it.
An example of Brocanto2 is “aaf troise ploof neim” – not sure what exactly this means but it refers to how a particular game piece would move on the board.
The researchers found that, at least in the first few months of learning this new language it wasn’t the typical parts of the brain that were lighting up, it was areas to do with attention, problem-solving, and memory. The study only lasted for a week so possible that other changes in the brain could occur later.
Possible implication is that if you want to prep your brain for new languages maybe hone your memory and problem-solving skills first and keep them sharp.
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A lot of bird nerds and nature lovers have been keeping an eye on the bird flu arrival in our country. What can we do, what can’t we do and what should we do to keep them as healthy and as safe as we can?
Here are some things we can consider, published by Predator Free NZ staff:

Image credit: John Bruin
We are aware that some migratory birds have always been seen as carriers of that flu - it's quite logical that the skua was first found. It probably indicates that many more of these Antarctic birds are full of flu, especially when they get together in places where we, humans, rarely get to.
MPI 0800 80 99 66 to report sick birds

Image credit: Alex H Weller
Using bird feeders?
I am not too convinced that is a good idea. Big flocks of all sorts of birds could cause contaminations, maybe not bird flu, but I have seen a lot of silvereyes with Pox on their feet and faces. Yes, I know that Pox is a different issue with birds, but it simply pays to be careful with large numbers of birds hanging around bird feeders.
While there is currently no official recommendation to take down bird feeders, they need frequent cleaning to help protect birds.
The disease can spread through saliva on nozzle feeders, so clean them daily by scrubbing with hot water and dishwashing liquid (wear gloves and a mask!). 
Open dishes and containers accumulate poop and are high risk. Predator Free recommend stopping their use immediately, which makes total sense.
If you are trapping pests with eggs and raw poultry as lures…
A big bucket of mayonnaise and a small squeezable container. Raw eggs and bird meat could contribute to the spread of disease.
While the risk is very low for now and there is no official recommendation to stop using these lures consider phasing them out for now, especially if you use raw egg as a lure in and around your trap.
As an egg alternative, we recommend egg-based mayonnaise, which is pasteurised and therefore doesn’t pose the same risks as raw eggs.

Image Credit: Predator Free Tamahere
Keep cats safe and happy at home
Cats seem to be very susceptible to severe illness from Avian Influenza H5N1 and could contract it from exposure to wild birds.
Keeping cats safe and happy at home minimises the risk of being exposed to the disease, and it’s best for our wildlife too.
Oh, and while we are at it, keep your dog on a lead too!
Makes sense, don’t you think?

Image credit: Fiona Taylor
MPI: 0800 80 99 66 to report sick birds
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