I’ve been an avid listener of podcasts for just over a year now. I know I’m a late starter but have made up for it by listening to 4-5 hours of podcasts a day. Here are my favourite podcasts so far, which are about a quarter of all the ones I follow…

Current Affairs

The Globalist (Monocle Radio)

Every weekday The Globalist shares news from around the world, providing a far more international perspective than most news broadcasts. For example they regularly provide updates on what is happening in the Balkans or Japan, or in the aviation industry or developments in space.

The Crisis Room

A relatively new podcast hosted by a former journalist, politician, and intelligence service operative. They cover some of the less obvious stories, with useful insights from their respective previous careers.

The Rest Is Politics

Needs little introduction as it is one of the most popular podcasts out there. Alastair and Rory always have an interesting perspective on world affairs, and an impressively broad scope.

The Economist has amazing podcasts including The Intelligence, Money Talks, Checks and Balance, Drum Tower, and special series, but almost all of them are for subscribers only.

US Politics

Americast (BBC)

The BBC’s flagship podcast on everything American politics, released three times a week, which is both informative and entertaining.

The NPR Politics Podcast

Every weekday this short (15 minute) podcast focuses on a single topic in American politics, with a rotating cast of NPR presenters who have very specific focus areas, e.g. the justice department, voting, or immigration, which provides a real depth to their coverage.

The Rest Is Politics US

The sister show to the Rest Is Politics has a different vibe, but is equally engaging and possibly even more entertaining, largely thanks to the larger than life Anthony Scaramucci.

Travel & Hiking

Strangely there isn’t a travel category in Apple Podcasts, and there are fewer travel and hiking podcasts than I’d expect for some reason. The latter in particular is very US and through hiking (long distance) dominated.

Amateur Traveler

Is close to reaching the 1,000 episode mark, demonstrating the longevity of the format, and dedication of host Chris Christensen, who recently was inducted into the Podcast Hall of Fame. Every week a guest covers a different destination, with pretty much every country in the world now covered.

Travel Writing Podcast

Relatively niche, but this podcast run by Intrepid Times, interviews some interesting people about their travels, and their path to get published.

Trails Worth Hiking

Probably the most international hiking podcast I’ve come across, with the host Jeremy interviewing guests about well known, and less well known, hikes around the world. He starts episodes with the history of the area / hike, which provides welcome context to discussion of the hike itself.

New Zealand

Gone By Lunchtime

The best of a surprisingly large number of podcasts about New Zealand politics, due to the experienced and entertaining hosts.

History of Aotearoa New Zealand

An ambitious podcast that aims to tell the story of Aotearoa New Zealand from the very beginning. After nearly 200 episodes, Captain James Cook has just arrived on the shores of New Zealand!

The Hoon

Veteran journalists Bernard Hickey and Peter Bale dissect the week’s New Zealand news with a focus on climate change (with Cathrine Dyer), international relations (with Robert Patman), and economics.

TV Shows

All The Way Theroux

The podcast that goes through the Louis Theroux back catalogue to see if they love him as much as they thought they did. Given that they appear to have stopped after 32 episodes perhaps they have had enough of him, but what they produced is hugely entertaining listening.

Better Than Life : A Red Dwarf Podcast

Podcasts about TV shows can be very hit or miss, largely depending on the hosts. I am a big Red Dwarf fan which obviously helps, but the hosts of this show have got the balance right, and I’m enjoying reliving my youth listening to their episode by episode breakdown.

The White Lotus : Official Podcast

Done well an official TV show podcast offers insights and access, which this excels in. Also to mention that the Dune : Prophecy official podcast achieved this.

Formula 1

F1: Chequered Flag (BBC)

Radio 5’s podcast is always the first to be released post qualifying and races, giving it a sense of immediacy. I follow F1 closely but never watch the races, and this gives me what I need to know.

James Allen on F1

James Allen was a long time F1 commentator. His podcast provides a broader perspective than most, covering topics like F1 influencers, the rise of F1 in America, team branding, F1 movies, and how fit F1 drivers actually are.

The Red Flags Podcast

The young, brash, and American upstarts, who only got into F1 during Covid times, but now run one of the most successful, and certainly entertaining, F1 podcasts.

Others

If You’re Listening

A random find but one of my favourite podcasts. Twice a week Australian journalist Matt Bevan releases brilliantly written episodes exploring some pretty obscure news stories, including on China’s social credit scores, conspiracy theories, and the best mud in the world.

The Louis Theroux Podcast

The second Louis Theroux podcast on this list, I’m a fan! This is the man himself interviewing an appropriately eclectic range of guests in his unique, and often parodied, style.

The Red Line

Another random find, that provides in-depth geopolitical analysis of relatively niche topics like the Georgian breakaway state of Abkhazia, who controls Eastern Congo, and The Armed Forces of Central Asia: Chapter VI – Tajikistan.

Titanic : Ship of Dreams

Excellent 13 part series on the most famous ship in the world. The sinking understandably captures the attention, but the series ably covers what happened before and after, providing so many fascinating details that were new to me. Highly recommended.

My podcasts

As well as being a keen listener, I’ve been a guest on a number of podcasts, and run two myself.

Exploring Timor-Leste

This was my first foray into creating a podcast, with 25 episodes released covering all aspects of travelling to one of the least visited countries in the world.

The Tramping Life

My more substantive (and time consuming) podcast, which has allowed me to talk to politicians, climbers, environmentalists, hunters, magazine editors, artists, authors, and many others about their connection with hiking in New Zealand.

Appearances on other podcasts

I’ve also made fifteen guest appearances on other podcasts

• Amateur Traveler on Timor-Leste, Auckland, NZ Great Walks, Samoa, New Zealand Upper South Island, and Delhi
• Australian Hiker on Timor-Leste, Snowman Trek, NZ Great Walks, Kokoda Track, and Ladakh Sky Trail
• Tararua Fever on A Ladder in the Wilderness – Between Rungs and Peaks
• Trails Worth Hiking on the Snowman Trek
• Travel Writing Podcast on volunteering in Suva and Timor-Leste
• Zero to Travel on Timor-Leste