HODD overseas adventure time! We headed to Wellington to chat with Kiwi comedy and music legend, and one half of Flight of the Conchords, Bret McKenzie and he gave us a masterclass on playing with our kids. Bret makes up silly stuff for a day job (he even won an Oscar for it!) and as a dad he’s focused his gift for absurdity and daftness into creating pro level games for his kids, and he gives us some of his best hits. They’re awesome! Seriously, you’re gonna want to write them down.  Bret also has some great insights about why putting in the time is so powerful, why connecting with community and investing in your neighbourhood is so good for your kids and also how to keep a lookout for that special thing that fires your kid up and ignites that spark of interest. He also reveals that despite his best efforts he might never get a billy cart built for his younger son. When it comes to DIY construction, Bret makes a great songwriter. However, one great thing Bret has constructed is a life that ensures he is there for his family, and his passion for simply turning up and providing consistency for his kids is clear… even if this means they just think he’s a half decent chauffeur.  We can’t thank Bret enough for having a chat, we got seriously inspired on the creative play front, and man did we laugh a lot. Bret’s album, Songs without Jokes is here on Apple or here on Spotify - check it out! And obviously, if you’ve never seen Flight of the Conchords, please drop everything now and do so - it truly is one of the all time greats. You can contact us howotherdadsdad.com — On our little NZ adventure we needed cars to move our families and gear around, and of course we used our friends at HERTZ.  Getting the keys was a breeze, the cars were brand new and in great condition, and drop off back at the airport was super simple and lightening fast.  So next time you travel, do the same and use HERTZ.  And if that travel is in Australia, go to hertz.com.au/hodd where you can grab a 25% discount off the base rate. T&Cs and exclusions apply - see website for details.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He’s been on our screens making us laugh for years, most recently in Colin From Accounts, but in this chat Patrick Brammall unpacks one of his more meaty roles to date… Being a first time dad!  Patty’s path to parenthood is a little unique with him and his wife Harriet Dyer adopting a baby girl in 2021 (Harriet is also co-creator/co-star of Colin From Accounts). Patty talks us through this experience, how it’s fundamentally changed him, his perspectives and priorities. And given his daughter was just 2 and a half when we recorded this, Patty is the first to admit that he really is still trying to figure this dadding thing out!! Patty is so honest about the ups and the downs, his hopes and fears, the sleep deprivation and the toll it’s taking on his face, and how he is still coming to terms with the fact that his time will never be his own again (well, not for the next 15 years or so). Patty, like all of us, is attempting this parenting Rubik's cube on the fly, and sometimes it's working, and sometimes it’s not!! And if that wasn’t enough, we have a brief musical interlude from a neighbour. This episode has got it all! Huge thanks to Patty (and Harriet) for sharing this really personal story, and for carving time out of a pretty jammed schedule to chat with us. In Australia Seasons 1 and 2 of Colin From Accounts is on Binge - and it’s really really great. If you have not seen it you really should watch it, like tonight. You can drop us a line anytime at howotherdadsdad.com - we love hearing from you guys. Thanks for listening! *Producer Note - Despite anything Hamish says to the contrary, all music contained within this episode is fully licensed for all necessary exploitation and distribution, including the music which the neighbour started playing through Hamish’s Bluetooth speaker inadvertently.  — Big thanks to our great friends at HERTZ, our exclusive sponsor for the whole of Season 3!  Just like us, they are big fans of adventure and memory making and in a great deal for HODD listeners, if you need a rental car in Australia, head to hertz.com.au/hodd for 25% off the base rate.  What a great deal!  Ts&Cs apply.  See website for details.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I wasn’t going to miss the podcast just because I was slightly paralysed” - It’s one of the better quotes we’ve had on the show! But it neatly sums up the unassuming yet unflappable nature of Dr Harry, who unless you were on a 12 month silent retreat in 2018, you’d know was the cave diving anaesthetist who helped in the against all odds rescue of the Wild Boars soccer team trapped in a flooded Thai cave. Dr Harry is in a unique position to talk about the art of risk taking, and it’s something he’s taken a keen interest in since that phenomenal rescue, especially how it relates to kids.  In this episode Dr Harry very kindly shares with Hame his thoughts on teaching kids about risk mitigating rather than risk taking, building resilience and overcoming fear, on the generational changes in parenting that he’s noticed and reflecting on what he might have done differently as a dad… it’s a super wide ranging chat - one that we were so, so lucky to have… not least because a few days out from us recording with Dr Harry, he’d been diving down a very very deep cave and had a little run in with the diver’s constant nemesis, the bends. Thankfully it all worked out OK! But I think you’ll agree, it was some Gold Standard Guest Commitment to turn up to our humble podcast, for sure! --- Dr Richard Harris SC OAM & 2019 joint Australian of the Year (nice title, right?!) has got lots of great stuff going on... His 3 series podcast REAL RISK is awesome. It’s got some amazing chats with people who manage some pretty massive risks  (the saturation diving episode is so good) He’s written a couple of great KIDS BOOKS on different ways to be brave and kind, called Alfie the Brave & Alfie the Kind. The book he and Craig Challen wrote AGAINST ALL ODDS about the cave rescue is also amazing AND very excitingly he’s working on a feature documentary called Deeper, directed by Jennifer Peedom, produced by Stranger than Fiction and distributed by Madman. The film follows the story of Harry and his mates attempting a dangerous and unprecedented dive in a remote (and very deep!) NZ cave - it’s out next year and we can’t wait! — Now, if you DON’T want to take a risk with your next hire car (and who would), make sure you use our friends at HERTZ. And because friends help friends out, HERTZ are offering our savvy listeners 25% off the base rate at hertz.com.au/hodd. Ts&Cs and exclusions apply.  See website for details. Big thanks to HERTZ for the ongoing support of the podcast and helping us bring these great chats and discussions to you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He’s helped create some of Australia’s most memorable comedic characters, battled tirelessly to elevate Football (the proper round ball kind!) to the upper echelons of Australian sport, and most importantly, he’s the father to 2 (now adult) sons. But before looking at his own dadding, Santo takes us back to Melbourne in the 1960s and 70s, painting a vivid picture of the multi-generational approach to parenting that he experienced growing up in a migrant family, especially the huge role his grandfather played. Things were a touch looser back then! With his own kids now young adults, Santo is able to explain to us how his approach to parenting has changed over the years. But he’s come to think there are a couple universal elements, and he borrowed them from some advice the late, great John Clarke gave on comedy writing. John said audiences like two, seemingly incompatible things… consistency and variation. Santo reckons kids are the same. You need the consistency to keep turning up, be rock solid and always there for them, but the ability to vary your approach based on what they are presenting, what they are going through and who your kid is.  Pretty bloody smart if you ask us!!   Santo shares a bunch of gems like these, and of course some great stories and behind the scenes moments from The Late Show and The Castle (you’ll get some of Dennis Denuto’s origin story!) Santo is super honest, humble and doesn’t waste time trying to convince us he has all the answers - as he says, parenting is an adventure and sometimes you just gotta go with it! But he is pretty steadfast about one thing… you really should force your kid to learn an instrument!  Huge thanks to Santo for making the time to chat, we absolutely loved it. Huge thanks to you for listening - You can drop us a line anytime at howotherdadsdad.com - we love hearing from you guys. — And a people mover sized thanks to our very good friends at HERTZ who are our exclusive sponsor for Season 3.  Just like us, they are big fans of adventure and memory making and in a great deal for HODD listeners, if you need a rental car in Australia, head to hertz.com.au/hodd for 25% off the base rate.  What a great deal!  Ts&Cs and exclusions apply.  See website for details.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As one of Australia’s great contemporary artists, Ben’s compassion and humanity is evident in all his work, and so is his willingness to self-examine. So perhaps unsurprisingly in his chat with Hamish, Ben opens up about what shaped him in his own childhood, his thoughts on masculinity, the shockwave of sadness that hit him recently when his adult son moved out of home, and the unwelcome thoughts of mortality that followed.  Ben also gives us some fantastic practical hacks on how to encourage creativity in our kids, why it’s so important to keep doing it beyond just the cute years, and some great drawing games to play when you’re out to dinner with the kids. He also revisits memories of the magic and mischief his father would create for him and his brothers as a kid with the secret lives of gnomes that lived in their house (and inspired some of his latest work). And perhaps in a world first (for reasons that become self-evident) Ben gives Hamish a drawing lesson on a podcast. We promise it works out (sort of). Massive thanks to Ben for having us over to his studio in the Southern Highlands. His honesty and vulnerability make for a heartfelt and wisdom filled chat. —- And big thanks to HERTZ who are back as our exclusive sponsor in season 3.  And just like us, Hertz are all about making memories and having adventures.  So if you need a great car to complete your next family getaway, head to hertz.com.au/hodd for a great discount. Terms and conditions do apply.  See the website for details on these, as some exclusions do apply.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a prolific co-creator of Australian comedy classics like Upper Middle Bogan, Wayne is probably more comfortable bringing to life hilarious, and hilariously flawed characters, rather than reflecting on his own life. But we know Wayne to be so thoroughly kind, thoughtful and wise that we really put the screws on him to come and have a chat. Thankfully he agreed! (mostly due to a nudge from his wonderful partner in life and work, Robyn Butler) Wayne talks beautifully about becoming a stepdad, his initial fears of having another child and the transformative effect that working on some of your own issues can have on your parenting. Wayne also shares some stuff from his childhood involving domestic violence perpetrated by his father, and the huge ripple effect it has had on his life. It’s pretty heavy stuff, but Wayne manages to explain it with such amazing insightfulness and honesty, reflecting on how he continues to work through its enduring impact to this day. We are so thankful to Wayne for sharing this part of his story, as it’s not something he has ever talked about publicly. But just like Wayne himself, this chat is so much more than that, and Wayne’s wisdom as a father and partner means that every single person will take something away from this really profound chat. The chilling statistics… Unfortunately the violence that Wayne talks about is not a rare thing and the horrors of male violence and domestic abuse are incredibly far reaching, taking a huge toll on our community. In Australia, a staggering 1 in 4 women have experienced physical or sexual violence, or both, perpetrated by a partner (Source). The generational impacts on children involved are massive, and for the victims the outcomes are tragic. In 2023 almost 50% of all women killed in Australia were murdered by their current or former partner (source).  If you know somebody that is suffering from domestic violence and needs help, 1800Respect.org.au is a good place to start. — 1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family, and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or family violence, you can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit the website for online chat and video call services: Available 24/7: Call, text or online chat Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm AEST (except national public holidays): Video call (no appointment needed) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finally, after waaaaaay too long, Season 3 of HODD is here. Well, actually… not just yet. It’s here next Friday, September 13. But boy, is it close!! To wet your appetite, here is a little taste of what’s to come this season. We’ve been lucky to chat with some absolutely wonderful guest dads who will make you laugh, reflect, reminisce and maybe even a little teary. It’s got it all! Big thanks to our great friends at HERTZ for coming back on board as our exclusive sponsor for Season 3, and because of that HODD listeners can go to hertz.com.au/hodd to get an awesome & exclusive discount on your next car hire. (T&Cs apply) And thanks to you all for listening! We're super excited for another season! You can contact us at howotherdadsdad.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.