A captivating morning of breakfast with one of New Zealand’s most recognised comedians is being served up as a fundraiser for Waipuna Hospice, thanks to the Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise.

“Please join us in the Crystal Palace on the Tauranga waterfront on Friday, October 31,” said co-organiser and Rotarian Phil Mangos.

“We are hosting the breakfast as part of the Tauranga Arts Festival programme, raising funds for Waipuna Hospice, and this year the brilliant Te Radar will be joining us.”

The club has raised thousands at previous festivals for Waipuna Hospice with visiting guest speakers, maximising the opportunity that the magical Carrus Crystal Palace presents.

“After Phil welcomes everyone, Te Radar will be running the whole event,” co-organiser and Rotarian Kathy Webb said.

Webb said the breakfast, which is supported by Carrus and Bayleys, will feature a selection of delicious items, and suggests people purchase their tickets as soon as possible.

In the course of his career, Te Radar has dived with sharks, narrowly avoided a rabbit while racing a Formula 3 car at 200km/h, plunged into the frozen Ross Sea in Antarctica in only a skimpy pair of togs, interviewed the Palestinian political leader Yassar Arafat under the watchful eye of gun-toting soldiers, been stung in a rather awkward place by a scorpion and become (unofficially) NZ’s worst television gardener.

A political and current affairs enthusiast, he’s provided a satirical review of the week on RNZ National’s Nine to Noon programme for more than 15 years and won two Qantas Media awards for his New Zealand Herald columns.

With a string of more official awards to his name, including the country’s highest accolades for comedy and television, he is heading to Tauranga Arts Festival to present a comedic celebration of the beloved and bizarre cookbooks from NZ’s past, with a side of sumptuous vintage food photography.

“We’re delighted that he’s also going to be our guest speaker for our Waipuna fundraiser,” Mangos said.

“We will also have some interesting mystery items to auction at the breakfast, to be revealed on the day. Bring some cash for the auction,” Webb said.

“There is a limited seating capacity of 200, with tickets selling fast. Every year we run this at the Tauranga Arts Festival we sell out with a full house.”

Tickets are available at: rotarytaurangasunrise@gmail.com