Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - FULL SHOW: Friday Finals day for the 10k race

Episode Date: February 12, 2026

We managed to get all the way to Palmerston North! Matty and PJ are heading to Wellington on the BlueBridge and we try a few tactics to stall them We had to give away our only $10 for the 10k challenge ... so we did Megan went shopping during the intense race  Going to a pub quiz to try win ourselves some dinner Instagram: @THEHITSBREAKFASTFacebook: The Hits Breakfast with Jono, Ben & MeganSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The John O'Ben and Megan podcast, thanks to Dilma. Goodness really does taste great. Dilma, making the world a better tea. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast, the hits. Rough weather for 15 hours, looking like it's going to be hitting the North Island over the next day. So not so great news on that regard. I've been all over the weather this morning, hoping that it would affect the sailings in the Cookstrait. But it seems to be mostly kind of upper half of the North Island.

Well, funny you mention that because... The hits $10,000 race. Okay, let's bring you all up to speed. We're racing Maddie and PGA from the afternoon show. They've got the South Island, we've got the North Island. They started at the bottom and bluff. We started at the very top of the North Island, and it was a race to Wellington. We could only do it through the means of just borrowing and hitchhiking with $10 budget.

And the first of Wellington gets their hands on a briefcase with $10,000 cash. that that show can give away. Yeah, it's been a journey of discovery. This morning we've just been sitting in Troy's hotel room, our producer Troy's hotel room, in deathly silence. I feel like the journey's starting to take its toll on us, but this is the day where it counts.

This is where we need that final burst, because it's down to the wire. When do they depart? So, yeah, so where did everyone get at the end of yesterday? We got as far as Palmer's the North. It's as far as we got. So we are currently about an hour 40 to 2. hours away from Wellington.

Depends who you ask, and it depends on the road works. So we've got changeables on our route. Yeah. Things that could hold us up. We can't leave. Teas and C's at the competition. We can't leave until 10 o'clock. So that gets us entering Wellington between 1145 and 12.

Yeah. Now that's also not factoring in Wellington traffic, CBD traffic on a Friday afternoon. Exactly. There might be all sorts of protests going on to the Beehive. Who knows what's happening? Yeah. The anti-vaccers are they still lingering around the front of them? I know.

So we need to get to the beehive. So let's say we're there, midday. If we're lucky, midday. Now, Maddie and PJ, they ended up yesterday, what, in Picton? In Picton. Their departure time for their ferry is 745. It takes about three and a half hours. It says on their ticket, they'll arrive, 1145.

10 minute walk to the beehive. Maddie and they claim to runner. And they'll get off first. They'll get off. Oh no, is it women and children first? How do they work on those? They will definitely be rambling. That was the titanic rule.

Maddie's going to wait. Maddie's got a lot. It was all the rich people first, wasn't all the Titanic. Yeah, I think it was. It literally could not have gotten closer. It wasn't so close for us. Yeah. We do have a little surprise for Maddie Maclean though when he does come off the boat.

Yeah, we do. Hopefully we are hoping could, you know, delay him by 10, 15 minutes. I might play to his ego a little bit. Honestly, we have no idea and we are real, everyone wants to win this. You know, this is a lot of money to give away as a show. They always get the competitions. You know, they always get to give them away. The fly away.

You want the cash in the car. We'll do it, mate. Yeah, we'll take it from here. Don't worry, guys. All you'll get it's paid for a year. Oh, yeah, we'll give that away. You know, they do all that stuff. We haven't had that, you know, as a show.

We're desperate for that. We're out here, you know, doing the grunt work on the front line. They're coming in and riding it on their unicorn, giving away the prizes, Ben, you're right. Yeah, so it's a big day. It's going to be happening throughout the day. I don't actually care that much. I do. I do.

So, well, I'll find out what Manny and PJ are doing next. Have they started their journey? Are they heading towards the ferry? I guess they can't. I don't want to call them this early in case they've slept in. I don't want to be their alarm. Okay.

Well, we're going to go. Let them sleep in. But then they're trapped and picked in for the weekend. Sounds like a them problem. There'll be on fairies, though. Surely, this is not the only one. Yeah, no, just means I'll miss out and I'll be in later. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast.

The Hits. The $10,000 race we've been taking on Maddie and PJ from the Afternoon Show on The Hats. They've been racing the South Island. We've been racing the North Island. It is the first show through the, kindness of strangers and people helping us along the way, hitchhiking, giving us rides in various modes of transport. To get to Wellington, the first show to get to Wellington gets $10,000 to give away.

There's been a lot of kindness, but the kindness stops now, guys. Yeah, it's crunch time. It's crunch. It's crunch. It's a final Friday, they're calling it, and we cross live now to Matty and or PJ. Welcome. Good morning, team. You sound breathy.

What are you, are you running? We're doing the final walks to the ferry. We've got to get to Bluebridge. Check in is by 645 and there's no way that we're missing that. So I'm sorry bad. I think you're going to say there's no way we're getting there. Oh yeah.

Take your time. Take your time, Pete. There's no rush. There's no rush, guys. But we're not stopping to talk to you. PJ, sorry. We've just heard the ferry has been cancelled. Oh, that's a shame.

God, that's a dream. Weather issues. Guys, try, guys. But your games will not work on us today. We're in a finals Friday. And only one team will. win. I was trying to tell her yesterday live on the radio that we'd move

the checkpoint for the end to the bucket founder, but no one's buying it. We're trying to get into each other's heads because it's been a lot of fun and it's been amazing the kindness on the way, but you know, both shows want to win. I'm particularly Maddie and particularly Megan. Yeah, I'm actually got my serious face on today.

You're wearing a blazer where I'm like, it's not reduced it for running, is it, you know? I'm running anything, baby. The whole time... You're lucky I don't have heels on. I've got sneakers on. I'm ready to run. It was not conducive for racing, but anyway, yesterday... Can we go across this railway? Oh, yeah, okay.

Hey, now, PJ, yesterday we're listening to you, and the challenge was to dive into the harbour in Picton. Just so you know, don't do that in Wellington's sewage contaminated waters when you arrive. No, to do that in Wellington. What's the distance from when the ferry land, where the ferry lands, sorry, to the beehive? Okay, so Maddie, Maddie is your logistics boy? but he's carrying my car seat and capsule right now so he can't hold the phone

oh no he can hang on I'll hand him over because he's a logistics man Okay yeah so you guys Good morning Maddie Morning Maddie Um a big day Final Friday they're calling it Okay so yeah

Yeah okay so you let like the ferry lands, docks whatever it is and not a boat person Gets into Wellington around about what time you think We think 1130 That's a smooth sailing that we're talking Okay But then we're still got to actually get off

the ferry, wait for the fury to dock. You know, there's a lot of a lot of variables. I can just imagine, I can just imagine Maddie's standing on the bow, the boat, sort of Titanic style, just, and leaping off as it slowly comes into the... And then you get someone who

hasn't quite nailed the parallel park and they're moving the boat back and forward, and Madig's just standing there like, and then what is it going to be a ride or mad rush? Have you worked it out how you're going to try and get to the beehive, or is that all... Well, this is what we're trying to figure out. because we've mapped it, and Paige and I reckon it's probably much of a muchness, actually,

in terms of getting a car and just sprinting, because you think about Wellington traffic, you think about traffic lights, we could get hold up. In fact, you're in your cardiovascular health. He's a runner. You'll beat a car, I reckon. But you remember the rules. You've got to do it as a team, so Pete. You're what he's doing?

You've been training in public, but maybe I've actually. been doing it on the D-Loy. Yeah. PG unhealthy slob. You've been to be catching up with it. Oh well guys, we'll catch up with you throughout the morning. Good luck. You know, it's all laughs.

It's all laughs now, but it's going to get serious a little bit later on. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast. The Hits. We're here in Palmerston North. Beautiful morning we can see out there. It's meant to be a whole lot of rain hitting the North Island in particular today. But at the moment, a glorious morning as we prepare to head away at 10 o'clock. We're trying to make our way to Wellington to win.

that $10,000 to give away to you. Yeah, it's been an amazing, and we've met some amazing people along the way. The generosity from the public has been incredible, and we ran into some heroes like Kyle and Tito. Now, Kyle had just finished his milking shift. We're in Tito and run into Kyle, who's sold to the earth, Kyle. Just a dairy farmer from the hearty north. You're getting supplies ready for later, right?

Yeah, yeah, you've got to stay well hydrated. Yeah, yeah, exactly. We're not going to say hydrated. He's for after milking, right? After afternoon milking. Yeah, after afternoon milk. So, well, as a fellow milker, I milked a cow this morning as well. Can you tell you?

One cow, one cow. I got a little bit of poop on my shoe there. Oh, you're christened, yeah. He ran out going, oh, and then went home and had a shower. Yeah, I shower, but yeah, I'm not one of you to be honest, mate. But can you tell us what we can do here in teed up? What should we do? Look at the sheep.

The dog. Oh, you've done that? Now what? We'll look at all the beautiful traffic. Yeah, actually, yeah. What happened, though? There's so much corrugated iron here. Like, who is the person that got it into Tehr?

Oh, I don't even know. They'll be making a fortune. No, because it's your history. I will have it to meet you, no? Yeah, good to see, man. Good to see you, Cole. So there was Kyle. He was just running just a sock situation.

Yeah. Yeah. And he said they were waterproof socks. Yeah. So he was a lovely guy, and he was standing outside. There was a liquor store there. There was also a base. The bakery, the baker, that Blair from the Hits in Hamilton and said, we need to go visit.

Yeah. Amazing. And outside there was a riddle, which really threw us all. And what was the riddle? Okay. The riddle was on a little blackboard outside. It was written in chalk and it said, I was born in an instant, but can last a lifetime. What am I?

And so obviously they do like a daily riddle. And it had nothing to do with the challenges that were doing on the 10K challenge. But we were like, well, it could be. That's good. It could be born in an instant, but can last a lifetime. What am I? We put it on our social media. The Hits Breakfast on Instagram and Facebook yesterday.

Lots of comments coming through. A lot of people saying regret? Yeah. I guess that works? A memory? A memory? Yeah, 4487 on the text. What, yeah, there were some of the people getting a regret.

Yeah, all this is. A Polaroid photo. Yeah, it could be. Born in an instant and can last a lifetime. So that's trying... Well, those things fade after a while. Well, yeah. Actually, we left them in the sun and you're more like, you can't see the picture anymore.

So we throw this out there. 4487 on the text, you can help us. solve the riddle. The Teiro of Riddle was just outside the bakery. You're right? Oh, sorry. No, you laugh like you were going to come back in with something. No, no, I'm laughing.

There's just all the hit and appropriate comments on our Instagram account. Yeah, there's a few not safe. There's a few not safe. I won't read them out at the moment. I'm just editing. Not safe for radio, but we'll get back. A lot of STD ones. John O'Ben and Megan is a podcast.

The Hits. The Hits. The Hits, 10,000 dollar race. Pretty much all week. racing Maddie and PJ our afternoon show here on the Hits. They had the South Island, we had the North Island. From the end of each island to

Wellington is the race. Any means necessary on a $10 budget, getting rides from people along the way through amazing kindness of strangers and the hits listeners. It's been incredible. But today, it's all down to today. They're on a ferry, I think, right now, traveling across

the Cook Strait. We're in Parmi. We're about two hours, maybe, out of Wellington. So it's It's all on today around about 12 o'clock. Hopefully both teams will get to the beehive. They are calling it finals Friday out there. Mate versus mate, state versus state, and we're crossing live to the Blue Bridge Ferry in Picton.

PJ and Maddie, Maddie and PJ. Come on in. Good morning. We're on board the Blue Bridge. I'm just looking out the window. I'm in the food court area because obviously we need to fuel up. And I'm just looking at the water. She looks pretty smooth.

guys. It was pretty smooth. We didn't want smooth, Say that. I know, but you're still in the Moulbrous sounds. Yeah, we haven't. Oh, we haven't departed yet. No, we're very much stationary.

Now, get into open water and then come back to us. Because the ferry arrival, we're thinking what, sort of 1115, 1130. Our journey from Parmy to Wellington gets us there around 1145. Oh, my God. It's going to be so close.

You have to make your way probably going to run, right, from the ferry terminal. to the B-5. We're still trying to work out the quickest way. I mean, we haven't got a ride logged in from the ferry terminal, and we honestly just think, I mean, you've seen Hasty Gonzalez, many McLean.

I think I'm just going to let him lead, and I'm going to have to sprint as fast as he goes, and that might be our best there. Is he up in the cockpit now, but he instructing the captain? No, he's waiting on his ex-Ben-Bedict. Do you want me to hand you over? Yeah, hand his over. How did he get ex-Benned X-Benned?

Bluebridge, mate. Because we've just been off of free brief. Blue Bridge are looking after you. You guys have had such an easy... He's got to earn it. Hang on. He'll tell you more. Okay. As your safety is our top priority,

please have attention to the following safety and information. Sorry, guys, I'm just actually learning my lines. Oh, do you have to do it. I do the safety announcement over the loudspeaker on the phone. Oh, my God. Is this your dream? It's actually my dream.

I'll tell you what. This is going to be the most fabulous safety announcement. Sailing as commercial sailing has ever seen. Well, it's all on today. No matter, you're very,

you know, you and Megan, very competitive. Everyone wants that $10,000 to give away on their show today. Have you downloaded Strava for PJ so she can get her steps in? She can get her running. She's got her runners on. So she's inactive where she's good to go.

Now we understand there's you want to lodge an official complaint. Well, a complaint is a strong word, just a query because we were under the impression that when we were handed out a punishment, we had

to really live by the ethos that the punishment was handed out under. We listened to Rachel Platton fight song non-stop for two hours. You were told to give away your $10. As I understand it,

you still have your $10. In fact, you doubled your money. No, we don't have the $10. We gave it away. We gave it away. Now, if you actually missed it, we gave it away. We're going to have that for you in just a second. We're going to get into this debate because we think we play to the rules.

But Maddie and PJ think what we did with our money when we gave it away was not giving it away. So, okay, we're going to get to that next. Hold the line, Maddie, before you get to your safety announcement, the fabulous safety announcement. Yeah, give us a little rehearsal over the intro of the song, Maddie. A muster station is an emergency, and oh, God, I'm screwing it up. Oh, my question is a area of safety where passengers is a semi-year. in there. I've really got to break it. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast.

The Hits. 10K race against Maddie and PJ from the afternoon show. We'll conclude at some stage today. One of the shows will get $10,000 to give away on their show, but we've had $10 as a budget throughout our journey, and we got punished by Bryn, our taskmaster. We had to give that away for breaking a curfew. Maddie and PJ also broke a curfew.

They got a punishment. So we decided because we had to give it away. We'd give that money away at the casino. And so we headed in in Hamilton to the casino and we gave it away to the casino and we put it all on red. $10 on red. It's the kid's savings. Here we go. Don't say that out loud, sorry.

Oh, come on baby. Deb said red. Red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red. Oh, it's starting to lose my name Tim. Come on. Come on the red. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh.

Do we go again? Do we go again? Do we go again? Have we got $20 now? We'll take it. We'll take it. Let's go again. It's thrilling, it's thrilling. What if we just put $10 on again?

No, no. What if we do another scheme? So that was us arguing with what we should stay at the table or keep moving. And we decided to keep moving sensibly. So well, well done, Ben. Well, we walked down there were $20. Yeah, we actually walked down and we're holding it above our heads and the security guard was like, oh, you're actually walking out with your winnings.

Yeah. Yeah. So, so we go. We gave it away. We've doubled our money. We thought we did everything right. But Maddie and PJ, come back on again. Lodging an official protest from the deck of the Blue Bridge where they're waiting to cross the Cook Strait.

What's your problem now, guys? No problem. Just a query is that really playing by the rules of what Bryn was intending for you to do with the $10? Because I think there would be a lot of people out there that you met along the way who would have loved $10, all of those generous people perhaps, who gave you rides along the North Island, but no, you went and spent it at the Cassie.

Is that what you've done with your $10? Well, we have been very generous to our riders, maybe not giving them the $10, but giving them other things instead. So we should $2. We should $10. You've kept it for yourself. We actually haven't spent it yet,

but we have a plan on what we're going to. Oh, you could have given it to people who have helped you along the way, Maddie. We have a plan on. what we're going to spend our $10 on, and it is going to be going to a very, very deserving person. Oh, lucky them. It'll be life-changing. If we're talking, pushing the realms of illegalities, from what I remember, last night, you stripped down to your underpants and jumped into the ocean in Picton,

which falls under indecent exposure I'm looking here. Summary Offenses Act, 1981. Three months in prisonment. $2,000 fine. Oh. So that's a good. And decent. Well, it was pretty decent looking at you, Maddie, to be honest.

Thank you so many. I ran it through ChatGBT to double check. I was like, look, we were given $10, we were told we had to give it away. What if we gave it to the casino? It says that does count. You gave away the $10. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

We are not listening to ChatGPT as the moral compass of our shows, okay? What started as a question or query has gone into a complaint now. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Well, we didn't walk away with the $10. It was a completely different note. It's a 20. Yeah. We got 20.

Okay. Oh, great, Maddie. Well, we'll let you go back to the Blue Bridge, the sailing. Hopefully things aren't smooth sailing for once on the Blue Bridge. John O'Ben and Megan. The podcast. The hits. We have been accused of not playing by the rules.

We're given $10 budget. That's all we had to travel our way around the country and try and win you $10,000. by racing to the beehive. We were told to give it away as punishment. We gave it away. We thought, to the casino. Yeah. It left that $10 left our hands,

and for a moment we had nothing. And this was the evidence of it. $10 on red. On red. It's the kid's savings. Here we go. Don't say that out loud, sorry. Oh, come on, baby.

Deb said red. Red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red. Oh, it's starting to lose my baby, Tim. Come on. Land in red. Oh, oh, oh. So, we've got it. We've got the money and we gave away the money.

Now the text machine, we've had varying feedback here. First one, Maddie MacLean, the world's biggest sore losers that reads this text. I like this one. Go you guys, you got this. What he forgets is you've been held up three times for this race and them only two. No backtracking. No crocodile tears from McLean, this text read. Put your big girl panties on and deal with it.

That's what I think too. I think too. That's only text worth reading out, really. I mean, there's been some not in our favour, but there's been some in our favour. You know, so very mixed results. Yeah, look, I just think we had a physical $10 note that we needed to give away. Those were the only parameters. It left our hands.

We've given it away. We don't have it. Like this text has said, we played to the rules, nothing in the fine print, and we can't help it if we doubled our money, right? We can't help it. Yeah, well, I just think we don't physically have that $10 note anymore. You're right, Megan. We've got a $20 note.

but Brin, who has been the taskmaster, adding in these annoying challenges, if it wasn't challenging enough throughout the journey. Brin, you're kind of in charge of this whole thing, right? Yeah, what do you mean annoying challenges? That's been quite fun, haven't, right? No, the challenge was fine. Creative, creative. Well, just things that are really just, like, hindering.

We've already got a challenge of trying to get it in the country, and then you're adding all these other things. And look, I mean, are they fair? Not exactly. Maddie and PJ, they've had a pretty easy ride. A glass of wine was one. Listening to music and skinny dipping and all I'm hearing is you guys want another challenge. No, no we don't actually.

No, you've done really well. Thank you so much for everything you've done. What's the official ruling on this casino scandal? Well, the verdict is, and I don't think Matt and P.J. are going to enjoy this one, but taking the money into the casino was not breaking the rules. And I'm very proud of you guys for finding a loophole. Thank you. So, Manny McLeague, go find those big girl pennies.

Put them back on and straddle your way across the cooks. I'll tell you what, we've got $20. Let's give that away to our final, someone that can take us to Wellington. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast, the heads. We travelled down the country to try and win $10,000. It's all happening today. We're working around about midday outside the beehives.

We'll get there. Mattie and PJ should be there from their ferry. They travel the South Island. The first team to get the briefcase and jump on a mat, apparently that's going to be there, wins the $10,000 to give away. Spaced out on a match, did we? Apparently, apparently.

And it's being reused. We already had it for something else. Oh, good. I'm good. Just thinking for the bottom line of the company. We want to use that map more than once. The rain those factoring in, is the rain in the Cookstrait? Because does that hinder the ferry crossing?

It's not raining in the Cookstrait, and it's generally not the rain. It's more the wind for swells. I've been all over it. Good. Deep diving into the weather. Well, if you're in Wellington, and if you could help us out and all just blow at the same time towards the Cook Strait, it might create some sort of turbulence on the water for them, but we'll keep you up today.

We can't leave it all 10 o'clock. Can't leave Parmeet till 10? That's so frustrating. Yeah, there's been a lot of rules along the journey, which is, you know, I guess we've got to have rules. It's a race, official race, and, you know, one of the rules was $10 is all we had. We thought we were being really smart

by doubling it at the casino yesterday. We could have lost it as well because we had to give it away. And then it's been like the thing about how do we get food? Big question. We found a pub quiz at Munch Cafe. in Palmerston North and we thought together with all our powers combined

we might be able to win the pub quiz when a bar tab win dinner yeah that seemed like a great idea so we went along there was very packed very popular pub quiz wasn't it it was like booked out and they have a waiting list too

so they squeezed us in the only problem is we arrived because we arrived I mean we're halfway through the pub quiz so really conditions for us to win were very tough at that stage if we did win there would have been a protest yeah

Hey, but those last few rounds we did, we did pretty well. I know, there were some incredible people there. That was the toughest palpire could have been a part of. You know when you're surrounded by smart people. We were surrounded by smart people. And producer Troy played a game of put your hands on your head or your hands on your bottom. Yeah, you had to stand up. It was like heads or tails.

And then everyone had their hands on the head. If that was the right answer, you could stay standing. If not, you had to sit down. And he got through. Well, here's the action. Here at Monce Cafe. He's got to win this round. Oh he's through again guys he's through again it's through again it's a podium finish it's a podium finish but is it enough for us

oh all going heads they're all going heads they're all going heads they're all going heads if you have your hands on your head please sit down oh he's out he's out happens on the New Zealand Herald Daily Quis. Yeah, so it dipped out as well. It was quite smart. One person went opposite at the end there, and they managed to stay in. That was around for an extra bar tap. We had all of it riding on producer Troy.

It wasn't to be. So we just had to forage through the bins of Palmerston, or... No, they actually felt sad for us, and they fed us anyway. They did look after us, which is great. I always got a pub quiz, and I was like, the questions are always so good, and you're like, yeah, I'm going to remember that fact. And then I thought this morning, I don't think I've retained any of that information. Maybe it's there somewhere in the back of my mind.

But there was really good. The very first low-calorie artificial sweetener was sweet and low. That's what I remember. That's a good one. You know what I mean? Because there was so many good questions last night. Fanta was vented in Germany. There you go.

There's one. With pumice. It was pumice. And cheese curd and apple waste or something. Apples. So maybe we have retained. They made fanta out of. Maybe we would retain some stuff.

But not much stuff. Not useful stuff, really. But thank you so much to much. cafe who did in the end felt sorry for us and fed us and had us part of a wonderful pub quiz. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast, The Hits. Today is the day we've been racing respective islands against Maddie and PJ from the afternoon show here on the Hits. We've had the North Island, they've had the South Island, both starting at the, well, we

start at the top, they started at the bottom. It's been a race through hitchhiking, any means necessary to get ourselves to Wellington, to get a hands on a briefcase, $10,000 is a prize money to give away to you. however we want on the show that wins it. I thought we had a huge advantage being the North Island. What was the huge advantage not crossing the Cookstray? Yeah, but as it turns out, the ferry's going to arrive pretty much the same time. We're going to arrive probably five or ten minutes after the ferry.

I know, so we're in Parmy, if you haven't gathered. We're in Parmy. We're here last night. We can't leave till 10 o'clock. The drive time is looking around two hours, Megan. Yeah, well, it depends who you ask. An hour 40 to two hours. So it depends on how they...

It depends on... How they approach the road rules. It depends on many things. There's road works along the way people are saying transmission gully or something. Yeah, I don't know. It's going to be all on. It's going to be very close.

So keep it locked on the hits today. We'll bring you up to speed with how we go. Trying to win that money for you. Although, Megan, we must bring something up from yesterday, which, you know, could have hindered us. I did have hindered us. We're in a race against time. Every second counts.

It does. And we walk out of... We were broadcasting the show yesterday morning. It's 10 o'clock. And we're like, where's Megan? Yeah, because we put that back. Excuse me. I went out first.

You guys were faffing about doing, I don't even know what. I couldn't leave for 10 o'clock. So 10 o'clock, we're all ready to go. And they were like, where's Megan? And Larissa, our promotions manager said, oh, she's shopping. For shoes, shoe shopping. That's Larissa's fault. Because she went to a shop and she came back and she said,

they're having a closing down sale, 50% off everything. She was like, go and have a quick look. She is the promotions manager. She was like, go and have a quick look. I was like, well, if they need me, I'm just here, they know where I am. Come and get me. Ben comes out. He's wound up like, you know what, he's wound up like this week.

Oh, he's wound up so tight. So we ran. He's like, where's Megan? I said, oh, she's shopping. You said, shopping for what? I said, shoes. You said, what? Dudes, I need some.

I need some. Shoes for running or anything. They weren't running shoes to help us win the race. I need some sort of therapy after a few days with you guys. So we went for retail therapy. So anyway, we ran into the... Ben's like roll up. Film every part of this, like a fair go ambush.

I was with the lovely Ellie in the store. She was being so fast getting me sizes and stuff. And then you two pop into the doorway and you're like, Hey! Here it is. Here's the audio. So Ben, we're in the middle of a race. Yeah, we're racing many of PJ.

First of Wellington gets $10,000 to give away as a show. It's high stress. Yeah. It's like an amazing race situation. Feels like... I'm like, where's Megan? Where's Megan? Oh, she's in a bloody closing down the shop.

Meya, sail. Not the time, bro. We're right. Oh, Megan. Not the time. What? We're in a race. We're in a race. We're in a race.

Do you know we're in a high-preciate race? Yes, I know. And she's shopping. But you know, something like that. Not this time. Megan, you in one minute. So Megan, you ended up coming out of here with a box and something else, like two items, I think. I bought a skirt in some shoes.

Sue me. I was trying on those shoes with my running socks on. I was trying on the skirt over top of my tights, my gym tights. I did all that I could, guys. Yeah, well, here we go. The all you that you could, apart from not showing. And if Andrews listening, they're on sale, apparently. Half price, apparently.

Yeah, but apparently half price. Do you know what they were? Which felt like full price when you said the price. I know, but you said what they were, I was like, wow. But, again, well, done. They were, 380, but that's not what I paid for them. There we go. So we managed to still make it to Parvester North, high heels and all.

We've got them. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast, The Hits. Huge day here at The Hits, because it's the final day of this. The Hits, $10,000 race. We have been racing in our afternoon show, Mani and PJ. They started in the South Island at the bottom. We started at the top in the North Island. It's been a race to Wellington.

The fastest show to get to Wellington and get their hands on a briefcase, gets $10,000 to give away however they want on their show. It's a huge amount of prize money. We want to win it. We wanted to give it away to you listening to our show right now. And we've been doing it through the help of many amazing people, many amazing New Zealanders on the way, giving us rides, loaning us rental cars. It's been incredible.

And we have now. Let's recap. If you've missed it this morning, where are we right now, Megan? We're in Parmi. Is that what you mean? Yeah, I was just like, you know, I thought of bringing it in. I was doing a lot of talking. I was like, do you mean like, the hotel room?

Or like, it's like, don't ask me this goose. I thought it was a pretty easy question, Megan. But anyway, it's been a long week. It's been a long week. Oh, I did say this morning, I'm not sure where we've ended up. Yeah, true. A Palmerston north located how long away? From Wales.

Well, it depends, you ask. An hour 40 or two hours. Somewhere in between there, but we can't leave until 10 a.m. So that puts us getting to the beehive, but let's say, sometime around 12 o'clock. Hopefully before 12. But Mattie and PJ on a ferry this morning, they left well. Well, Aaron. Aaron joins us, actually.

Thank you for phoning through Aaron. Welcome to New Zealand's breakfast. Here you going, base. Here we're going good, Aaron. Lainty good, mate. Now, Aaron has been doing some tracking of the ferry for us. Oh, really? What's happening?

Well, she left her 16 minutes late like it normally does. 16 minutes late, Aaron, like it normally does. Oh, 16 minutes? Okay, that's good. That could be the buffer that we need. Because we need, that might even things up a little bit, but can they make up time on the water? Yeah, so, Aaron, if it's late, do they usually speed up? No.

No, the Libya is a bit slower to Connie Mara. Connie Mara runs at three and a half. And Olivia runs at three hours 40s. I don't know who they are, but that's up. We're guessing their ferries, the Blue Ridge Ferrys. Wow. So I can literally see the Livia. I'm tracking it and I can get its average speed.

What should it be running at if it's not speeding up? I think it can only run about 15 knots through the... Who are you? Sorry, just a truck job over, mate. Oh, truck job. You know everything. That's amazing. That's incredible.

Well, thank you so much for that little bit of Intel. So they, 745 sailing that this morning, which meant they left around 8 o'clock by the sound. But it's going to get them into Wellington. Oh, it's going to be close. They're going to be close to midday. We're going to be close to midday. Aaron, can I ask a question, given your experience on the ferries, disembarking.

Obviously, you disembarked with the truck, so it takes a bit longer. But you're just average walk-on passenger. How quickly can they get off? Not as quick as what a truck driver can get in his truck. They've got to open the door, so they won't be out until probably 10 past. 10 past what? 12? Yeah, mate.

Oh! All you're thinking they might be out at 11.30. Okay, this is good, but hey, the guys, it hasn't happened yet. It's not start the butt padding just yet. There might be road works. Who knows? There might be traffic. Okay, but we need a ride.

First thing, we need to ride from Parmi this morning. If you can help us out, 10 o'clock is when we're allowed to leave. We've got $20. That's all we had. We're going to give that to the person that can help us out. John O'Bennon and Megan, the podcast, the hits. A lot of talk about logistics. We've never been like planning and talking about Megan's tracking fairies.

We're tracking other people. We're talking about roadworks. We're getting techs coming through. There is a lot on the line here. We want to win this, 10K to give away. It could not have been closer. We are literally both facing similar delays. We are going to get into Wellington at a similar time.

It just is down to whether they're going to sprint to the finish. Are we going to get stuck in traffic? It's so close. I feel like I've been saying it all week, but if you just turned into the hits, you're like, what are they talking about? We're racing Maddie and PJ from the afternoon show. We had an island each. We started a couple of days ago, us, the north, then the south.

And it's basically the first to Wellington gets their hands on $10,000 to give away, and we've been doing it on a $10 budget. So just getting rights from people, generosity of people, amazing New Zealanders. So thank you to everyone that's helping us out. And all the buy-in, too, from people messaging the studio as well, giving us traffic updates on transmission gully. A lot of bit, Margaret's messages. I'm sure if Patty, who's picking us up from Parmy, travels from Wellie to Parmy, often he'll be aware of the transmission gully issues. He'll go down the old State Highway 59.

Don't you worry about Patty. That's what Margaret's saying. So thank you so much for the buy-in, and hopefully we get their first to win $10,000 to give away next week. It's going to be tight. It's going to be tight. We can't get away until 10 o'clock. We won't get there to closest to midday. they'll get there around them, it's going to be very, very close.

And we're trying any tactic possible to stall them. And we must shout out to producer Grace. Thank you so much, Grace, for this. Created a piece of art like the Sistine Chapel, which is a poster that we've put on our social media and also on the hits accounts to meet and greet Matty McLean as he disembarks off the Blue Bridge Ferry. A beloved journalist, TV presenter and radio host

Feb 13, 2026, 1130 Wait for Maddie as he comes off the fairy tunnel And he'll have a selfie with all of your mothers That's right, he'll sign whatever you want Bring multiple things along It's a sign, maybe don't bring a pen So you have to share the pen and make things a little longer He loves a selfie

He can't say no to people I mean Maddie, you know, like he, otherwise, what sort of monster is? Make sure you're filming those So if he does say no you put it on social media What a monster didn't have time for his fans Yeah, didn't have time for you a Nana? How rude! Yeah, so get on down there if you are in the region

and get a photo with Maddie In fact, don't just bring your mum, bring the whole family down and get solo photos, not a group one. Well, you never know the relationships. Like the Beckams, they can fall apart afterwards later. You're like, oh, I had mum in that photo, I really wanted just, it should just be me and Maddie. So you get that option today, get one with mum, one with that.

And make sure you give the phone to your grandmother to take the photo with. Yeah, great, she'll do it in which way you want it. She'll do it the other way, you'll go, oh, just turn it around that way. Yeah, one of those things. Me and greet a national treasure, Maddie Maclean, as he walks off the Bluebridge, Like a member of the royal family. They'll be coming down to greet his fans.

That's going to be big. So when's that happening again? That's happening at the Bluebridge dock. Well, there's been 50 minutes delayed, so it's probably later than that. Just wait around. There'll be a crowd waiting up signs. Maddie, Maddie, Maddie, you know. Is this sabotage or is this just what Maddie would want?

No, we just want to celebrate Matty McLean along with the rest of the country. The love broadcaster, Maddie McLean as well. John O'Bennon and Megan, the podcast. The hits. But we sound surprised. Every song we play is a great song here on that, mate. No, but it's good. It's getting the vibe started, heading into the weekend, of course.

And we are heading into Wellington today from Parmy. That's where we have to head a couple of hours away from the final destination for our 10K race against Maddie and PJ. They're on a ferry. We'll hopefully have a bit of a tactic in the next 10 minutes that may be able to slow down that ferry. Yeah. And we've been given hurdles along the way by Bull Bustra Brin, our taskmaster, who's been in charge of the whole race, our night host here from the hits,

and one of the challenges was yesterday to stop at Lake Popol's famous hole-in-one attraction. So you bash the golf balls from the shoreline onto a pontoon. You get it in, you get $10,000. Yeah, it's a really cool thing. They've really done a great job of extending it as well from last time I was there. They refurbished it. Yeah, it's got a whole weekend once.

We first started out of the hits trying it. We think we had 10,000 balls to try and win $10,000, and we didn't get a hole in one. It's got a toilet now, so you don't have to go on the lake. Absolutely user-friendly this whole thing. But we didn't have to get a hole in one, where you had to hit the pontoon, which is, you know, Megan, I don't think it's the first time you checked it out. It's quite hard to hit the pontoon, right?

Yeah, well, you said last time you were there for hours and hours, and you only hit it a few times over three days. So I was like, it's probably going to take an hour. Yeah, well, that's what we're factoring in, 60 minutes on the drive. So we got there yesterday, and we're like, wouldn't it be funny if the first shot hit the pontoon, and we're on our way, and Jono, you stepped up, and this happened.

Lake Topol, hole in one. We've just got to hit the pontoon and we're on our way. First go, hit it and then we're back in the car. That'll be great. That was first time. Incredible. I'm just like Tiger Woods minus the multiple affairs. Have you ever felt cooler in your life?

I'm just like, I'm going to give up on golf now. The funny thing was is it was really busy and so all of the, you know, like little posies were full. And everyone, when we started screaming, thought we'd got a high. hole in line. We've hit the pontoon. Everyone's like, yeah, that doesn't... We just did that too. That's the thing, yeah.

Because it was like, well, this is the coolest Jono's ever going to look. But really, for everyone there, was like, well, that's a bit lame. Because we celebrated hitting the pontoon, which a few other people were doing, like, every second or third shot that were there. We're all on our own journey. We're all on our own journey. They didn't know the journey that we were on.

No, they didn't know the journey we were on. They were like, that's amazing. But they didn't. And they just went, wow, what did they celebrate so much? You know you haven't won, $10,000. I hope. But thank you to the Topor Hole in 1.2. They gave us the bucket of balls for free as well.

Yeah, we don't have the money to pay for those sorts of things. That was awesome. I don't know what the big blaster gun was called. There's a bazook gun there. They let me use that too. The big blaster gun was cool. So you can put your golf balls on them and you can fire the pontoon from that. It's like a big bazooka.

Yeah. It has quite a recoil on it. Very, very cool. So check it out next time we're in Topor. John O'Benn and Megan. The podcast. The Hats. racing Maddie and PJ for $10,000 to give away to you.

And we're, you know, we're all worried. We can't leave 10 o'clock this morning. We're traveling from Parmy with Patty, a listener who's going to help us get to Wellington. Maddie and PJ on the Bluebridge Ferry as we speak right now. And we're going to call Bluebridge now to see if there's anything we can do to slow the ferry down. Grace, if we can dial through. They'll get there about the swell. Hello.

Welcome to Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferry Agent Priority Line. Crossing the Straight Daily. Hold the line for one of our 10. members. Okay, here we go. It really has worked out around about the same time. We'll all be getting into Wellington. It's very tight.

They've got a bit of an advantage, I think, just with traffic. Hello, welcome to Blue Bridge. Speak of Andy. Andy, John O'Ben and Megan here from The Hits. How are you, sweetheart? I'm good, thank you. How are you? We're good.

We're from the radio. Maddie and PJ had the afternoon show on the Hats. They're on a Bluebridge right now. They're going from Picton to Wellington. They're on the Livia, Andy. Mm-hmm. And we're on a race with them. We've got to get to Wellington.

They've got to get to Wellington. They are making great progress on the Blue Bridge, and we're quite worried about it. What time is it due to Wellington at this stage, Andy? Let me just have a check for you. We did see there was a bit of a delay leaving picked on. So we wonder if we can make more. But that's good for us, Andy.

That's good for us, yeah. Could you make more of a delay? Is there any chance you could circle back around, get the captain to do something, put it in reverse or something? Why don't you get the captain? Oh, gosh, I left. I left my keys back at Picton I'm just going to turn around

Like anything I don't know what you can do I mean What I do know is that Left Picton at 758 a.m So probably get here Maybe 11-ish

Oh that's way earlier than we are 11ish That's wow Oh that's not good It's not good for us I mean it's great for you In Bluebirds That's a great sailing That's textbook

Is there? Yeah Is it Oh my gosh 11ish Like do you mean like Half 1 11 Or?

Maybe half pass, maybe 1115. Okay, all right. Well, let's get the captain to turn the boat and go towards Australia and then go, oh, guys, I took a wrong turn, then come back round. Just buy us 15, 45 minutes or something. I don't know. Okay, Andy, thank you so much. Oh, so it feels like it's going to be very, very tight.

Who makes it to Wellington? 11 o'clock this morning. We did it 11 o'clock come into play. Yeah, when they're late, they were due to arrive at 1130. Oh, no. So it feels like it's swung in Maddie and PJ's favour, guys. It's not good news. for us, it really is it. Oh, okay. So things, not great use for us, guys. I feel like it's really

tip things into Maddie and PJ's favour. Yeah, it's not ideal. Not ideal, but who will take it out, follow along at the Hits Breakfast today on social media on the Hits drive, or you can listen to The Hits and we'll find out who will be giving away that $10,000 next week for the 10K race. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast, The Hits. Today is the day one of us, that Maddie and PJ the afternoon show or us will be winning $10,000 to give away. We can't leave until 10 o'clock this morning from Palmerston North. We are travelling there with the help of Patty, who's going to be helping us out, drive us to Wellington to the beehive.

And the ferry, you've been tracking the ferry with Maddie and PJ? I have. And they were, did we get official reading? Was it 16 minutes delayed? But then it seems like they've been going slightly faster than the knots we were told. Who did we have on that told me the average speed was about 15 minutes? and Mulbra Sands are 15 knots in Marlborough Sands. Currently, I can tell you they're going 18 knots.

Well, let's not narc on the blue bridge of the... They're like, they've sped up Maddie's in the ear. I reckon Maddie's, buddy, slip their bloody thing forward closer to the window, the old... The throttle forward, the throttle forward, yeah. Fall to the wall, that's what you say. That's right, so will we beat them or not? I don't know.

We've been doing a lot of calculations about what is going on and can we do it. It's going to be very, very close. Yeah, and there's transmission gully. delays, well not delays, but just slowing down on transmission gully apparently between Palmerston North and Wellington. So thanks to Patty who's picking us up into Suzuki Swift. We'll be pushing the limits of that swift within the laws of the New Zealand roading code. James, you there?

Good morning. Great to have you on. You've got some travel tips for us. Well, I go into Wellington every Wednesday from Pami. and they've been reselling the gully for the last two months and it's down 70Ks at most of the way, one lane. Is that a good thing or a bad thing for us? Well, it all depends because if you go around the coastal road,

you've got to go 80, then you're going to go through Pakakura Bay. So it kind of cancels itself out, really, so it's all about the traffic. I really want you guys to win, so you've got to get there before. Okay, so Shina's just text to James. as she's saying, get Patty to drop me off in, Pottadoa, the Wellington train station is literally across the road from Parliament.

Now, is that something we should be considering, or is that a silly idea? No, it's not something you can do to win. I just think, yeah. How often do the trains go? Are we going to be waiting for the train? Let's check the train travel is on your way to down. We don't have money for a train, though.

That's the other thing as well, too. Yeah, then we're going to have to be able to. They're just showing us. People are invested people. I think the gut's saying stick with Patty. Stick with Patty all the way. Patty the Batty. Yeah.

And hopefully where you just get a consistent 70K an hour ride down. So, James, how long does it? How long does it take you? You do it every Wednesday. How long? I'm restricted to 90-cloths an hour because I've got a trailer on. But it takes me just on two hours. So you should be under that.

Rose's text through just as you were talking she says there's roadworks on the old and there's also the old than you wrote as you said they've done both this week time them off peak as well you're welcome she says but she reckons go transmission galley it's raining I reckon it's it's leaf flying there's no stop and go so it's only to reduce speeds okay well we're gonna win this we're gonna win this 10k for you mate you good luck guys thanks Jay