Join me as I sit down with the delightful Professor Bev Lawton, a trailblazing advocate for women's health, who shares her insights into menopause, cervical cancer prevention and endometriosis. From her early days as a GP in Newtown, Wellington, Bev highlights the importance of evidence-based knowledge and the need for a stronger focus on women's health. Bev brings such warmth and optimism to the topic of menopause, encouraging us to see it as a natural, manageable transition rather than a...

Fresh from a work out Dr Stacy Sims joins me for a deep dive into the specific ways women need to move our bodies as we age. A trailblazer in the science of female physiology, Stacy challenges the traditional ‘calories in, calories out’ mindset – why it can be counterproductive and how popular fitness trends often ignore the distinct needs of women, especially through perimenopause and menopause! Stacy explains how our bodies change as hormone levels fluctuate in midlife, affecting...

Today I’m joined by three extraordinary and radically different women who consider each other family. Each in a different decade of life – their 50s, 60s, and 70s – Jackie Clarke, Tina Cross, and Suzanne Lynch have performed together for the past two decades as The Lady Killers, and they’re still going strong. Fresh off their DIVAS! tour to sold out venues around New Zealand, we sit down to discuss music, ageing, and friendship. The stories these wāhine toa share are filled with hard-won...

  In this episode, I sit down with psychologist, author, and menopause researcher Dr Hillary McBride to explore what it means to truly come home to our bodies - to treat them like a best friend. Hillary’s work spans critical topics like trauma, eating disorders, and women's health, with a particular focus on menopause as a transformative experience. Through her books, The Wisdom of Your Body and Practices for Embodied Living, Hillary advocates for a reconnection with our bodies, inviting us...

Buckle in for an uplifting conversation filled with laughter and wisdom! Petra Bagust is the host of popular rova podcasts Grey Areas and Sunday Sanctuary, a radio personality and TV presenter, a media chaplain, mum to three young people and all-round wonderful wāhine.  In this episode, Petra shares candidly how she has approached the highs and lows of motherhood with grace for herself, and the many things she’s learned along the way. With energy, wit and wisdom, she delves into the richness...

The tide is rising toward Megan’s 50th birthday, and we surf the currents of childhood memories to uncover how mermaids, like the best stories, delight us with their symbolic depth. We reflect on my relationship with my mother, navigating the murky waters between closeness and independence. Megan shares how her mother transformed into an exuberant grandmother, becoming a lighthouse guiding her toward metamorphosis despite her own unfulfilled dreams. We wade into the depths of parenting and...

There were three things Susie Ferguson was never going to do; climb Mt Everest, run a marathon or write a book. However a serendipitous podcast interview with my good friend Frank nudged her to capture her experiences as a war correspondent, radio journalist and woman - the result is "Bloody Minded."  Susie shares her experiences of being bullied and even publicly shamed by a teacher while navigating the tricky dynamics of an all-girls school.  Her candid reflections on enduring...

I sit down with the delightful Nici Wickes, a beloved cookbook author with a talent for making culinary adventures accessible and joyful, as she shares her wisdom on no-fuss cooking, building confidence in and out of the kitchen, and her latest book ‘More from A Quiet Kitchen.’ We tackle body image and health, confronting societal expectations, and shifting our focus from our appearance to our wellbeing along the journey to ageing with self-acceptance. Nici also gets real about prioritising...

Join us for the first episode of Grey Areas Season 6 as we sit down with award-winning journalist, doco-maker and loveable rogue Patrick Gower to discuss his unfiltered memoir, This Is the F#$%ing News. In this candid conversation, Paddy gets vulnerable about the toxic cocktail of alcoholism, bullying and work addiction that brought about a mental breakdown – and would ultimately lead him to embrace authenticity and give up the booze for good. Having overcome inner turmoil and his...

Kia ora! I'm Petra, and welcome to Grey Areas, back for its sixth season. We're diving deep into the conversations that matter—those tricky, often unspoken topics that can powerfully shape our lives. Throughout this season, I sit down with incredible New Zealanders who aren't afraid to tackle the tough stuff. We explore subjects like endometriosis, our complex relationships with our bodies, singleness, loneliness, and the inner dialogue we all have—sometimes critical, sometimes empowering. ...

Getting up at stupid-o’clock every weekday morning to perform in front of the nation requires a certain type of strength and stamina. Add perimenopause to the pressure cooker of live television and you’ve got yourself a potent cocktail of challenges. Part of Jenny-May Clarkson’s secret is the dynamic partnership she’s forged with her husband Dean. In this episode they share the story of their second-chance-at-love romance, and how their differences complement each other in raising twins,...

Having children and becoming a mother is a huge part of our collective cultural script. When you’re single, the question is ‘when are you going to find someone?’ When you find someone, the question becomes ‘when are you having children?’ So what about the many women who don’t have children, either by choice, circumstance or because they’re unable to? Otherhood is a newly published book of essays on being childless, childfree and child-adjacent. Lil O’Brien and Kathryn van Beek are two of...

In a culture of unhealthy comparison and burdensome perfectionism, how do we cultivate an openness to getting it wrong? … Like, really get down and dirty with failure and understand how necessary it is for growth and basically learning anything at all. Dr Jin Russell’s intimidating bio reads like the ultimate perfectionist’s achievement list. She’s a Consultant Developmental Paediatrician at Starship Children’s Health and a researcher in public health, investigating the impact of poverty on...

The world of investing has long been dominated by men, but did you know that the women who do invest typically do better than their male counterparts? Honestly, it’s never been easier with the technology now available to us, so let’s figure out what positive action we can take because the good news is it’s never too late to get amongst it. Victoria Harris is passionate about women taking control of their financial futures. Along with her podcast co-host, Sophie Hallwright, she founded...

There are moments in time where issues that have lurked in the shadows reach a tipping point and break into the public consciousness. Now is such a time for neurodiversity and ADHD. We are ready for healthier, more embracing conversations about how different brains work. TV presenter and actor Sonia Gray is on a quest to make life better for neurodiverse children and their families since her own tempestuous journey with daughter Inez. Her experiences and research has also led to discovering...

Open a refreshing window to the world of creativity with Dr. Selina Tusitala Marsh as we riff on creativity and poetry. Turns out you don’t have to give it up after high school. Selina, an accomplished poet, academic, and illustrator, shares profound insights and captivating tales from her journey, which includes becoming NZ’s official poet (aka Poet Laureate), an unconventional marriage break up, and being honoured as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. From the physicality of...

Hot on the heels of launching her new book Evolving, Judy Bailey sat down with Petra to talk all things ageing. At 72 years old, Judy has a sparkle that's infectious. Her credentialed career as a journalist, along with her natural curiosity and sense of fun make her an ideal guide to navigate the landscape of ageing, and explore the latest research on how to do it well. It’s exciting to hear that since leaving television, Judy is having some of the most fulfilling years of her life!...

We're kicking off Season 5 with our LIVE recording of a fun and fascinating panel discussion tackling pleasure, intimacy, and love in midlife and menopause with writer Niki Bezzant and relationship coach Meg Cowan. Niki Bezzant is a trained journalist whose book This Changes Everything: the honest guide to menopause and perimenopause has, for thousands of New Zealanders, shed light on the oddly overlooked experience of women and ageing. Diving into sexuality, intimacy and desire in her...

Kia ora! Petra here and we’re getting ready for Season 5! 5 feels like a milestone… off to school and all that, growing up literally - thanks for coming on this journey with me - hasn’t it been fun and also fascinating!?!  We have built up quite the collection of stories and questions to travel with us into our next season - hopefully with more compassion, humour and  courageous can-do. Let’s keep going!  Who would have thought we’d talk about vulval skin health, pelvic floors, boobs bones...

Film reviewer extraordinaire Kate Rodger joins Grey Areas for another laugh-filled chat about stepping outside of her ‘lane’, dealing with feelings of overwhelm, and the progress she's making on her personal goals. Kate brings her trademark humour and wildly generous way with words to a conversation about new challenges, making time for what’s important, and never being afraid to have a good ol’ cry in the staff loos. If you want to hear more from Kate check out her earlier episode The...

Iconic broadcaster Robert Rakete returns to Grey Areas, joining Petra for a candid and uplifting kōrero. Robert has been discovering more of his whakapapa as he continues to learn Te Reo Māori, and shares his love of embracing the beginner's mind, facing fears and embracing failure. Plus Robert catches Petra up on his recent prostate check-up! 👀 If you want to hear more scintillating stories from Robert check out his episode Recovering identity from Season 1! See omnystudio.com/listener...

Two years on from her first Grey Areas appearance, Petra catches up with journalist and TVNZ's Sunday host Miriama Kamo as she's rounded out her fifth decade. Turning 50 can invite introspection and casting new vision for your life. Miriama grabs this opportunity with both hands sharing the raft of intentions she has for this season from getting braces to studying te reo Māori. In the midst of goal-setting, Petra and Miriama reflect on how to sidestep shame and resource ourselves, even when...

Annie Crummer and Betty-Anne Monga along with Julia Deans and Boh Runga will be forming a powerhouse ensemble at this year's Auckland Arts Festival performance, Hear Me Roar! on March 8. Annie and Betty-Anne joined me for a korero all about creativity, collaboration and purpose. We riff on the power of music to accompany us through every season - the summers and winters of life. Music offers us a kind of hope when life gets bogged down in the grey areas and we explore how as women we can...

Add to your kete of understanding our bone health with this kōrero with Christine Gill, Executive Director of Osteoporosis New Zealand.  The life cycle of these living tissues from birth to menopause and beyond is fascinating. Christine talks us through the process of bone turnover, the often misunderstood osteoporosis, the importance of achieving maximum bone strength by age 30, and the myriad factors that can influence our bone health throughout life. The good news is that it's never too...