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Spinning Yarns With Sian, 640 Cumberland Street, Dunedin (2025)

10/09/2025

Spinning Yarns With Sian Episode #100:
On Thursday the 4th, Zac Hoffman of The Breakfast Show interviewed me for my final episode of Spinning Yarns With Sian on Radio One 91FM!

We had a kōrero (discussion) about my recent travels to Indonesia; establishing environmental platform Sea Society in 2019; pioneering legislative change in the Catlins to protect endangered wildlife; and my brief and fiery foray into the entertainment industry via X Factor in 2009. (I sang 'Girl on Fire' by Alicia Keys - I wasn't. But we live and learn, and maybe go on to channel that fire into activism).

Zac levelled up Spinning Yarns With Sian Episode 100 with his hosting and stings! Click to listen: https://www.mixcloud.com/Radio_One_91fm_Dunedin/spinning-yarns-with-sian-episode-100/

All other Spinning Yarns With Sian podcasts are available on Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/genres/spinning-yarns-with-sian/

Thank you for tuning in, and for your support over the past three years! 💙

07/09/2025

Spinning Yarns With Sian Episode #98:
On Thursday the 21st of August, my guest on Spinning Yarns With Sian on was the visionary Bill Morris!

Bill Morris is an award-winning writer, documentary filmmaker, wildlife cameraman and musician. A maestro of storytelling, he has worked with the likes of , , and the Discovery Channel.
His career as a documentary filmmaker has taken him from the Subantarctic Islands to film New Zealand sea lions/pakake and southern right whales/tohorā, to Sri Lanka to film wild monkeys.
He is a frequent collaborator with New Zealand Geographic and writes about a variety of topics, including country music, 60-million-year-old whales, sea lions, eels, and insects entombed within amber.
His book ‘The Road to Gondwana’ was published in 2022, and was long listed for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. A must read for those interested in the science behind the supercontinent.
He is also a musician, whose discovery includes albums ‘Mud’ (2012); ‘Hinterland’ (2015), of which was nominated for the APRA Best Country Music Song at the 2015 Country Music Awards; and ‘In the Limestone Country’ (2025).

We had a kōrero (discussion) about his decades-long career as a wildlife documentarian and writer; his musical journey; and the science behind Gondwana. Click to listen: https://www.mixcloud.com/Radio_One_91fm_Dunedin/spinning-yarns-with-sian-episode-98/

Photo: Bill Morris by Derek Morrison at .

01/09/2025

This Thursday the 4th, for Spinning Yarns with Sian Episode #100 on Radio One 91FM, I am turning the tables. The magnetic Zac Hoffman of The Breakfast Show is turning the mike on me.

We will be having a kōrero (discussion) about my journey from establishing environmental platform Sea Society in 2019; pioneering legislative change in the Catlins to protect endangered wildlife in 2020; completing my zoology degree in 2024; to my current role working with penguins. We will also be yarning about my passions - New Zealand sea lions/pakake, little penguins/kororā, photography and music.

To learn some of this former polygraph examiner's secrets, tune into 91FM between 12 - 1 pm!

01/09/2025

This Thursday the 4th of September, Spinning Yarns With Sian Episode #100 on Radio One 91FM will be my final.
I created Spinning Yarns With Sian in October 2022 with the aim of recognising people from diverse backgrounds doing admirable mahi (work). It has been an awesome, unforgettable journey!
Finding and securing the talent, conducting research, structuring interviews, managing the social media and conducting the live interviews has been a lot of work. So, the time has come for me to move on and pursue other projects.
Thank you to all of the Radio One whānau (family)! Especially my benevolent overlords Kristina Simons and (formerly) Sean Norling; Jon Bakos, for his guidance and support from the beginning; Dave Borrie, who taught me the art of surfing the airwaves; and Fi Carr, for their technological wizardry.
Thank you to all of my guests, YOU made Spinning Yarns With Sian a space for people to be educated, inspired, and entertained.

31/08/2025

Spinning Yarns With Sian Episode #99:
On Thursday the 28th, my guest on Spinning Yarns With Sian on Radio One 91FM was the brilliant Lyndon Perriman!

Lyndon Perriman grew up in Dunedin/Ōtepoti and was fascinated by wildlife from a young age. He began working at The Royal Albatross Centre at Taiaroa Head/Pukekura as a teenager. He then graduated to Head Ranger with Northern royal albatross/toroa, a role he held until 2016.
From the late 1980's, Lyndon oversaw the albatross colony at Taiaroa Head grow from ten chicks fledging each season (leaving the nest), to over 25 chicks fledging each season. An amazing development, as Northern royal albatross only have one chick every two years!
Lyndon's expertise with albatross led him to contribute to conservation projects nationally and internationally, including in the Chatham Islands/Rēkohu, Subantarctic Islands and Japan.
While working at the Royal Albatross Centre, he also entertained Prince Charles in 2005 and Rachel Weisz in 2016.
Lyndon is now the Operations Manager at Blue Penguins Pukekura (comprised of the Korako Karetai Trust and the Otago Peninsula Trust), at Pilots Beach/Takiharuru. His mahi (work) is focused on the world's smallest penguin - blue penguins/kororā or little penguins, and educating and empowering people.

We had a kōrero (discussion) about his work with albatross; the history of Taiaroa Head; conserving bird species; and keeping company with royalty. Click to listen: https://www.mixcloud.com/Radio_One_91fm_Dunedin/spinning-yarns-with-sian-episode-99/

Photos: Sian, Lyndon and Dora.

25/08/2025

Spinning Yarns With Sian Episode #99:
This Thursday the 28th, my guest on Spinning Yarns With Sian on Radio One 91FM is the amazing Lyndon Perriman!

Lyndon Perriman grew up in Dunedin/Ōtepoti and from the age of seven was fascinated by wildlife. He began working at The Royal Albatross Centre at Taiaroa Head/Pukekura as a teenager. He then graduated to becoming the Head Ranger with Northern royal albatross/toroa until 2016. From the late 1980's, Lyndon oversaw the albatross colony grow from ten chicks fledging each season (leave the natal site), to over 25 chicks fledging each season. A development worth celebrating, as albatross only have one chick every two years!
Lyndon's expertise with albatross led him to contribute to conservation projects nationally and internationally, including in the Chatham Islands/Rēkohu and Japan. Whilst working at the Royal Albatross Centre, he also entertained Prince Charles in 2005, and Rachel Weisz in 2016.

After retiring from working with albatross, Lyndon became the Operations Manager at Blue Penguins Pukekura, where he is my benevolent overlord. He now dedicates his mahi (work) to the world's smallest penguin - blue penguins/kororā or little penguins.

We will be having a kōrero (discussion) about working with albatross; the history of Pukekura; working with blue penguins; the importance of conservation; and keeping company with royalty. Tune into 91FM between 12 - 1 pm!

Photos: Lyndon Perriman. Supplied.

20/08/2025

Spinning Yarns With Sian Episode #97:
On Thursday the 14th, my guest on Spinning Yarns With Sian on was the brilliant Dr. Nic Rawlence!

Dr. Nic Rawlence is the Director of the Palaeogenetics Laboratory and an Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.
Dr. Rawlence gained his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science at the Victoria University of Wellington. For his Master’s, he studied the evolutionary history of kākāriki (an endemic parrot to Aotearoa New Zealand). He went on to gain his PhD at the University of Adelaide, where he studied moa - using ancient DNA and palaeontology to reconstruct the diet and plumage of moa, and investigating the impacts of climate and habitat change over time on this extinct species.
His research focuses on ancient DNA; the evolution and palaeoecology of extinct animals; conservation biology; and the effects of climate change, fisheries, and human interference on past ecosystems.
He is best known for co-discovering the Rēkohu shelduck (a large extinct duck species) at the Chatham Islands/Rēkohu; discovering the Catriona’s shelduck at St Bathans; analysing extinction data of the Chatham Island’s sea lion; analysing the genetics of s**g species; and helping to develop the groundbreaking “bone bath” technique.
He is also a Council Member of Birds New Zealand (otherwise known as The Ornithological Society of New Zealand Inc).

We had a kōrero (discussion) about the process of de-extinction; the advantages and disadvantages of de-extinction; and what you should consider before visiting “Moa Park”. Click to listen: https://www.mixcloud.com/Radio_One_91fm_Dunedin/spinning-yarns-with-sian-episode-97/

19/08/2025

Spinning Yarns With Sian Episode #98:
This Thursday the 21st, my guest on Spinning Yarns With Sian on Radio One 91FM is the visionary Bill Morris!

Bill Morris is an award-winning writer, documentary filmmaker, wildlife cameraman and musician. A maestro of storytelling, Bill has worked with renowned platforms like Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, National Geographic and New Zealand Geographic.
His career as a documentary filmmaker has taken him to the Subantarctic Islands to film New Zealand sea lions/pakake and southern right whales/tohorā; and to Sri Lanka to film wild monkeys.
He is a frequent collaborator with New Zealand Geographic, and delves into a variety of topics, including country music, 60-million-year-old whales, sea lions, eels, and insects entombed within amber.
In 2022, his book 'The Road to Gondwana' was published, about the science behind the supercontinent, which was long listed for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
He is also a musician, whose discovery includes albums 'Mud' (2012), 'Hinterland' (2015) and 'In the Limestone Country' (2025).

We will be having a kōrero (discussion) about his decades-long, diverse career as a writer and wildlife documentarian; his musical journey; and demystifying Gondwana. Take a walk on the wild side - tune into 91FM between 12 - 1 pm!

Photos: Bill Morris by Derek Morrison at Box of Light.

10/08/2025

Spinning Yarns With Sian Episode #97:
On Thursday the 14th, my guest on Spinning Yarns With Sian on Radio One 91FM is the remarkable Dr. Nic Rawlence!

Dr. Nic Rawlence is an Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology and the Director of the Palaeogenetics Laboratory at the University of Otago/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.
Dr. Rawlence gained his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science at the Victoria University of Wellington. For his Master's, he researched the evolutionary history of kākāriki (an endemic parrot to Aotearoa New Zealand). He gained his PhD at the University of Adelaide, where he used ancient DNA and palaeontology to reconstruct the diet and plumage of Aotearoa's endemic extinct moa, as well as investigating the impacts of climate and habitat change over time on these megafauna.
His research focuses on ancient DNA; the evolution and palaeoecology of extinct animals; conservation biology; and the effects of climate change, fisheries, and human interference on past ecosystems. He is best known for his discovery of the Catriona’s shelduck (large, extinct duck species) at St Bathans; analysing extinction data of the Chatham Island's species of sea lion; analysing the genetics of s**g species; and helping to develop the groundbreaking “bone bath” technique.
He is also a Council Member of Birds New Zealand (otherwise known as The Ornithological Society of New Zealand Inc).

We will be having a kōrero (discussion) about the process of de-extinction; the de-extinction of the South Island giant moa; and demystifying and unpacking the realities and potential risks of the de-extinction of animals. Tune into 91FM between 12 - 1 pm!

Photos: Dr. Rawlence, supplied. Dr. Rawlence and Kyle Davis by Shar Briden.

10/08/2025

Spinning Yarns With Sian Episode #96:
On Thursday the 7th of August, my guest on Spinning Yarns With Sian on was the salt of the earth !

Sam Charlesworth is a self-taught musician and producer, whose songwriting and producing have earned him attention across Aotearoa New Zealand. Since beginning his musical journey at the age of 15, his discography has blossomed into six self-produced albums, including The Duality of the Human Mind (2021), Bummer town (2020), The Difference Between (2020) and Letters from the Heart (2019). He is currently working on his upcoming album Watching the World, of which Heaven Knows is the lead single.
In 2023, he formed the alternative rock band , alongside his older brother Ollie. The other members are Radio One’s very own Logan Edwards, Alex Kendall and Greg Rolls. Their song Another Day is currently Number 1 on Radio One’s Top 11 Countdown.
He previously studied music, te reo Māori, and marine science at the University of Otago/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.
In his free time, Sam can be found surfing, skating, doing photography and playing music by the ocean; as his creativity is fueled by watching the world around him.

We had a kōrero about his solo music career; The Beatniks; surfing; and healing from trauma. Click to listen: https://www.mixcloud.com/Radio_One_91fm_Dunedin/spinning-yarns-with-sian-episode-96/

Photo: Sian and Sam.

10/08/2025

Spinning Yarns With Sian Episode #95:
On Thursday the 31st of July, my guest on Spinning Yarns With Sian on was the vibrant !

Since 2019, Sophie Barker has been a Councillor for the Dunedin City Council (DCC) and is currently campaigning to be Mayor of Dunedin/Ōtepoti. She has also previously served as Deputy Mayor.
In 1967, Sophie’s parents Margaret and the late Barry Barker bought the then-derelict (originally built by William Larnach in 1876) and restored it to its former splendor. For the Barker’s, life in the castle wasn’t as glamorous as you may think, however, given its history - was as spooky. Over the decades, Sophie has contributed to the restoration and preservation of Larnach Castle - graduating from dusting, cleaning, and clearing tables in the cafe, to becoming Operations and Business Development Manager. As Larnach Castle is one of the South Island’s most recognisable paid attractions, Sophie has become used to being in the public eye.
In 2015, Sophie was appointed as the Marketing Manager for the Otago Peninsula Trust, who oversee operations at the , and Fletcher House, among others.
From 2008 to 2015, she was the Business Development Advisor at the DCC in the Economic Development Unit for the Tourism Industry looking after operators, cruise, and destination management.
As a true-blue local, Sophie is passionate about making Dunedin the best city to live in Aotearoa New Zealand and aims to instil a similar passion in you.

We had a kōrero (discussion) about the history of Larnach Castle; the Larnach Family; her Mayoral campaign; her vision for Dunedin’s future; and acting as kaitiaki (guardian) for the local wildlife. Click to listen: https://www.mixcloud.com/Radio_One_91fm_Dunedin/spinning-yarns-with-sian-episode-95/

Photo: Sian and Sophie.

06/08/2025

Spinning Yarns With Sian Episode #96:
This Thursday the 7th, my guest on Spinning Yarns With Sian on is the masterful !

Sam Charlesworth is a self-taught musician and producer, whose songwriting and bedroom recordings have earned him attention across Aotearoa New Zealand. Since beginning his musical journey at the age of 15, his discography has blossomed into six self-produced albums, including Letters from the Heart (2019), The Difference Between (2020), Bummer town (2020) and The Duality of the Human Mind (2021).
In 2023, he formed the alternative rock band , alongside his brother Ollie, Radio One’s very own Logan Edwards, Seth Sinclair and Alex Kendall. They opened the main stage at the 2024 Rhythm and Alps.
He is also currently studying music, te reo Māori, and marine science at the University of Otago/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.
In his free time, Sam gravitates towards surfing, skating, photography and playing music by the ocean; as his creativity is fueled by the world he sees around him.

We will be having a kōrero about his musical journey; what spurs his creativity; and his passion for surfing. Tune into 91FM between 12 - 1 pm!

Photo: Sam Charlesworth. Supplied.

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